Final supermoon of 2021, the cold moon, observed throughout the United States: View the images

This week, the last full moon of the year, a supermoon called the Cold Moon, lit up skies around the globe. It follows two earlier supermoons in 2025: the Harvest Supermoon on October 7 and the Beaver Supermoon on November 5.

A supermoon occurs when the full moon aligns with the moon's closest approach to Earth in its orbit, making it appear slightly larger and brighter than usual.

According to the Farmers Almanac, Decembers full moon earns the name Cold Moon as it coincides with the chilly season. It is also referred to as the Long Night Moon (Mohican) because it rises during the years longest nights, near the winter solstice, and stays visible for a longer period.

NASA notes that supermoons happen three to four times annually. When the moon is at its nearest point to Earth, it can appear up to 14% larger and 30% brighter than when it is at its farthest.

The next full supermoon, called the Wolf Moon due to the increased likelihood of wolves howling during this time, is expected on January 3, 2026.

Stunning Views of the Cold Moon

The last supermoon of the year rises behind the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge on December 4 in San Francisco. (Godofredo A. Vsquez/AP)

A plane passes as the Cold Moon ascends on December 4. (Kiichiro Sato/AP)

A tree silhouette frames the Cold Moon over Bondi Beach, Sydney, on December 5. (Saeed Khan/AFP via Getty Images)

The Cold Moon brightens the sky above a ship in the Strait of Magellan, Punta Arenas, Chile, on December 4. (Pablo Sanhueza/Reuters)

The supermoon rises over Istanbul on December 4. (Emrah Gurel/AP)

The full moon glows beyond hotel lights in Kansas City, Missouri, on December 4. (Charlie Riedel/AP)

The Cold Moon illuminates a grazing deer in Kansas City on December 4. (Charlie Riedel/AP)

In Nicosia, Cyprus, the supermoon appears behind a festive holiday wheel on December 4. (Petros Karadjias/AP)

The Cold Moon rises behind the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on December 4. (Alex Brandon/AP)

A saguaro cactus in South Mountain Park, Phoenix, is silhouetted against the supermoon on December 4. (Ross D. Franklin/AP)

The supermoon ascends above the Superstition Mountains in Phoenix on December 4. (Ross D. Franklin/AP)

In Phnom Penh, Cambodia, the Cold Moon rises above a street lamp on December 5. (Heng Sinith/AP)

In Gran Canaria, Spain, a family uses a telescope to watch the Cold Moon on December 4. (Borja Suarez/Reuters)

Author: Riley Thompson