Cold Moon 2024: Rare Lunar Event - The Last Full Moon

As 2024 comes to a close, the last full moon, the "Cold Moon" of this year rises as far north — a phenomenon that happens every 18.6 years. Over this period, the position of the moon's rising point shifts slightly, leading to the full moon appearing at different points on the horizon. NASA has stated that the moon will appear full for about three days, making it a full moon weekend; this is the Long Night Moon as the full Moon is closest to the winter solstice. The plane of the Moon's orbit around Earth nearly matches the plane of Earth's orbit around the Sun. When the path of the Sun appears lowest in the sky for the year, the path of the full Moon opposite the Sun appears near its highest. Here the Cold Moon changes color and brightens over time after rising. At its full phase, the moon sky, with its light filtering through the gaps in the tree branches, Sometimes looks like the moon is like a fruit among the leaves of a tree, creating a serene and mystical view at Tehatta, West Bengal, India, on 15/12/2024.