The final full moon of 2023 has risen above Earth in the form of the aptly named „Cold Moon” for the month of December.
With Tuesday's (Dec. 26) full moon, skywatchers and astrophotographers aren't going to let obstacles like a Christmas Day hangover — or the chilly temperatures of a chilly December night — stop them from snapping some truly stunning images of the cold moon. from all over the world.
Some of those December full moon pictures shared online and across social media serve as a festive feast for the eyes.
Related: Full Moon Calendar 2023: When to See the Next Full Moon
While the following cold moon images are all stunning, a December full moon image is truly out of this world. Captured on Monday (Dec 25) from Colombo, Sri Lanka, this image not only shows the moon in stunning detail, but also features a small shadow from China's Tiangong space station crossing the lunar surface.
Closer to home, the cold moon took on a surprisingly warm orange/red hue as it rose behind the San Mateo Bridge across San Francisco Bay in California.
December's cold moon looked a bit colder with its all-too-familiar yellow glow as it rose behind the 100-story EdgeNYC observation deck in New York City in this image taken from nearby New Jersey.
Manhattan Bird Alert shared on X (formerly Twitter) a suitably chilling image of the cold moon, snowing through the winter fog and lighting up the sky over Central Park in New York City.
Tonight is a full cold moon, fog has spread over Central Park. pic.twitter.com/4eMJhCFa2tDecember 27, 2023
The Empire State Building and Midtown Manhattan were also shrouded in cold lunar fog in a photo taken by X user Gary Hershorn on Tuesday evening.
A full cold moon rises over midtown Manhattan and behind the Empire State Building on a foggy night in New York City on Tuesday.December 26, 2023
Fog and clouds were thick enough in Spokane, Washington, to allow X user Young Kwak to capture a picture of the full moon. The photographer was able to see the cold moon before it disappeared behind the cloud cover.
Full cold moon and clouds, Tuesday, December 26, 2023, Spokane, Wash. pic.twitter.com/gIafYWujLcDecember 27, 2023
At X, astronomy lover and photographer Jennifer Rose Lane shares some incredible images of the December cold moon from West Virginia.
Full „cold” moon Tuesday night 🌕 #WV #FullMoon #ColdMoon @StormHour @ThePhotoHour @MoonHourSocial @WSAZBrandon @SpencerWeather @JoshFitzWx pic.twitter.com/VdT5os9zXYDecember 27, 2023
In England, Tuesday marked the traditional bank holiday of Boxing Day. But that didn't stop sky watchers in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland from snapping some incredible full moon pictures.
In an image shared on Monument's X feed, the moon is seen casting a foreboding red glow over one of England's most famous landmarks, Stonehenge in Wiltshire.
Boxing Day full moon setting at StonehengeDecember 26, 2023
A cold moon reflected in the gently rippling waters of Loch Leven National Nature Reserve in Kinross, Scotland was captured.
December's full moon rises behind a hillside occupied by the Rocca Galaccio Castle and Village in Galaccio, Italy, captured during daylight hours to reveal a striking lunar face.
In Istanbul, Turkey, the cold moon was captured as it rose over an important cultural and religious site: the magnificent architecture of the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque.
A cold moon glows faintly over Nineveh in Mosul, Iraq.
These incredible full moon pictures mean you won't have to wait long if you're interested in capturing the next full moon face for yourself. The next full moon — and the first full moon of the coming year — is the Wolf Moon, which will rise on January 25, 2024.
If you want to see the moon up close after seeing these incredible photos, our guides to the best binoculars and the best telescopes are a great place to start.
Whether you want to photograph the moon or just explore the night sky in general, check out our guide on how to photograph the moon, as well as our recommendations for the best cameras for astrophotography and the best lenses for astrophotography.
Editor's note: If you want to take a picture of the cold moon and share it Space.comReaders of , send us your photo(s), comments and your name and location [email protected].
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