Come the holiday season, the city is brighter than ever. From Yuletide villages, to bustling wonderlands, and underground light shows, the city is lighting up this month. This week, Texas skies have a little light show of their own prepared. Keep your eyes peeled to the skies for the Cold Moon, the final supermoon of 2025!
What is a Supermoon?
The term “supermoon” relatively new. For the past four decades, “supermoon” has been used to describe when full moons occur at its perigee, or at the closest point in its 27-day orbit, within 90%, to Earth.
As a result, the moon appears bigger (as much as 14%) and brighter (as much as 30%) to the naked eye. Because both the moon’s and Earth’s orbit changes, supermoons occur three to four times a year.
What is the Cold Moon?
As with other moon names, the supermoon name has origins in Native American, European, and colonial traditions. “Cold Moon” is the moon’s most common term, coming from the Mohawk community.
Other names used to describe the moon include “Long Night Moon” (Mohican), “Frost Exploding Trees Moon” (Cree), and “Little Spirit Moon” (Anishinaabe). The pagans of ancient Europe also referred to the moon as the “Moon Before Yule“, in celebration of the Yuletide festival.
When to see the Cold Moon Supermoon?
The Cold Moon will be completely illuminated at 5:14 pm CST on December 4. To see the moon at its most dramatic, watch for the “moon illusion” right after moonrise. The moon will also be at its full form the night of Friday, December 5.
Where to see the Cold Moon in Houston?
As with any celestial event, the ideal viewing spot for the Beaver Supermoon is away from bright city lights. However, excellent views are still possible in Houston at several spacious parks, including: Buffalo Bayou Park, Brazos Bend State Park, Eleanor Tinsley Park, and Terry Hershey Park.
When is the first supermoon of 2026
Sources report that you won’t have to wait long for the next Supermoon, which is set to take place on January 3, 2026.