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.
The Tiangong Space Station passes the cold lunar surface on December 25, 2023. (Image credit: Thilina Kaluthotake/NurPhoto/Getty Images)
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 appears as a hot red ball behind the San Mateo Bridge over San Francisco Bay. (Image credit: ayfun Cokun/Anadolu/Getty Images)
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.
A cold moon seen behind the EdgeNYC observatory in New York City on December 26, 2023. (Image credit: Lokman Vural Elibol/Anatolu/Getty Images)
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.
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.
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.
At X, astronomy lover and photographer Jennifer Rose Lane shares some incredible images of the December cold moon from West Virginia.
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.
A cold moon reflected in the gently rippling waters of Loch Leven National Nature Reserve in Kinross, Scotland was captured.
A cold moon is seen over Loch Leven National Nature Reserve on Boxing Day in Kinross, Scotland on December 26, 2023. (Image credit: Getty Images)
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.
Cold Moon behind Rocca Galaccio Castle on December 26, 2023. (Image credit: Lorenzo de Cola/NurPhoto/Getty Images)
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.
The 2023 Cold Moon rises over the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey on December 26, 2023. (Image credit: Semal Yurtas/Anatole/Getty Images)
A cold moon glows faintly over Nineveh in Mosul, Iraq.
A full moon rises over Nineveh in Mosul, Iraq on December 26, 2023. (Image credit: Ismail Adnan Yacoub/Anatolu/Getty Images)
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.com Readers of , send us your photo(s), comments and your name and location spacephotos@space.com .
