I admire a full moon when it’s warm outside, but even more so on a cold winter night. The bright orbital shape casts a welcoming light to the Earth as I shiver in below-freezing temperatures.
Sometimes, it even has the power to brighten my dark mood.
The December full moon, occurring this year on Dec. 26, is called the cold moon, and no one living in northern Illinois can argue with that name.
On that day, you can see the full moon rise in the east as the sun sets in the west. The moon will be at its brightest at about 6:30 p.m. It will be the longest-lasting full moon of the year, spending more time in the sky above the horizon at night than in other months.
That effect is caused by the moon’s alignment with the sun and the Earth during the winter solstice. The December full moon is also called the long night moon. A day or two before and after Dec. 26, the moon will appear to be full to the human eye.
Seeing a full moon reminds me that amid all the changes in life, there is a constancy in the world, at least in space. The moon always rises in the east and sets in the west. It goes through the same phases every 29.5 days, starting as a new moon, which was the case on Dec. 12 this year.
No moon light is visible in the sky on the new moon, and that’s when we are seeing the so-called dark side of the moon.
Over the period, the moon waxes or grows larger to our eyes into a crescent shape and then into the full, round, lit moon. It then wanes back to a crescent shape, and then another new moon.
The moon, of course, isn’t shining, which adds to the mystique of the sky. The only large source of light in our solar system is the sun, which shines on the moon to make it appear lit up. Astronomers say another small source of light from the moon comes from distant stars. We see the full moon when it is opposite the sun as it orbits Earth.
In astronomical terms, the moon is full when it is exactly 180 degrees opposite the sun. That’s when it’s easiest to see the dark craters and other landmarks in the moon made famous by the likes of James Lovell.
Each month of the year has a different name for the full moon. The Native Americans realized the moon’s movements corresponded with changes in seasons. For example, November’s full moon Is called the beaver moon because it occurs about the same time beavers start stashing food for winter. It may also refer to the time when humans began trapping beavers to obtain fur to provide warm clothing for the winter.
The January full moon is named the wolf moon, referring to hungry wolves that might be howling because food is more difficult to find in winter. Summer full moons also have names. For example, the August moon is known as the sturgeon moon, referring to a species of fish easily caught in large bodies of water in the summer in the northeastern United States.
Twelve lunar cycles occur within 354 days, a 13th full moon is seen in a calendar year. It is often called a blue moon. Our modern day calendar doesn’t line up perfectly with the moon’s phases.
Folklore and legends about the full moon include stories of werewolves emerging, and humans going insane. Psychologists have concluded that the full moon does not cause more fatalities, accidents or people going crazy. It’s an urban myth.
The truth is that the moon is a remarkable object in the sky that has fixed phases connected with the sun and the Earth. It has an otherworldly beauty that can remind us that long after we’re gone, the moon will still be there.
This Dec. 24, look to the sky at nighttime and see if, as Clement Mark Moore wrote, “The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow” gives “the luster of midday objects below.” Moore wrote the words in “A Visit From St. Nicholas.”
And as I’ve been told, the nearly full moon this year will help Santa make his rounds on Christmas Eve.
Sheryl DeVore has worked as a full-time and freelance reporter, editor and photographer for the Chicago Tribune and its subsidiaries. She’s the author of several books on nature and the environment. Send story ideas and thoughts to sheryldevorewriter@gmail.com.
