A Cold Moon and 3 bright planets? Here’s how to watch this lunar Christmas event in Idaho
The Cold Moon will rise high in the Boise sky the day after Christmas, illuminating the city in its chilly glow for over 16 hours.
No, the moon isn’t especially chilly this time of the year, nor is it making it any colder down on Earth. But it is the last full moon of 2023 and has a higher trajectory than most other full moons, meaning it’ll stay in the sky longer than usual.
As an added bonus, this year’s Cold Moon will be accompanied by three planets visible to the naked eye, and the moon itself will sit in one of the sky’s brightest constellations.
Here’s what you need to know about Cold Moons, what makes them unique, and the exact time this year’s Cold Moon will appear in Boise.
When can I see the Cold Moon?
Although this year’s Cold Moon will reach peak illumination at 5:33 p.m. on Tuesday, according to the Farmers’ Almanac, you don’t have to wait until then to see the natural phenomenon. Like any other full moon, the Cold Moon is visible from around sunset until sunrise.
The moon should start to peek over the horizon just before sunset, according to the Farmers’ Almanac. In Boise, the moon will rise at 4:42 p.m. and set at 8:28 a.m. on Wednesday.
But there’s a chance that clouds will obscure the view from Boise.
National Weather Service meteorologist Sophia Adams told the Idaho Statesman that most weather models show a high-pressure ridge sitting over Boise from Sunday through Wednesday, but there’s uncertainty as to whether moisture will move into the area.
“There is some uncertainty around Pacific moisture moving over the top of the ridge into our region. This is what would bring more cloud cover to the region on Tuesday night,” Adams said. “These will likely be mid to high-level clouds ahead of precipitation later in the week.”
The Weather Service forecasts 60-70% cloud cover on Tuesday night and a 10% chance of clear skies.
What planets will be viewable?
This year’s Cold Moon will also coincide with Saturn, Jupiter and Venus all visible in the night sky, according to Space.com.
Saturn will be visible by looking southwest shortly after the sun sets and will remain in the sky until shortly after 9 p.m., when it will also set below the horizon.
Jupiter will be visible in the southeast and in the night sky for much longer. The gas giant will also be viewable shortly after sunset but remain visible until about 2:30 a.m. Both Jupiter and Saturn will be easy to see because they’ll appear as bright and steady lights in the sky, as opposed to stars that seem to twinkle.
Venus will then rise in the early hours of Wednesday morning, at approximately 4:41 a.m., according to Space.com. Venus is so bright that it’ll still be visible in the minutes following sunrise when the sun’s light has drowned out other stars.
The moon’s background stars change over the course of the night, but for much of the evening — including moonrise — it’ll be within the constellation Gemini. Also known as the Twins, Gemini has two extremely bright stars called Castor and Pollux; the moon will move closer toward Castor throughout the night.
What does Cold Moon mean?
Moon names have been passed down through generations of Native Americans, who traditionally used the month’s moon as a calendar of the seasons.
December’s full moon is commonly called the Cold Moon, a nod to the month’s chilling temperatures. Here are a few less popular alternative names for December moons:
Drift clearing moon
Frost exploding trees moon
Moon of the popping trees
Hoar frost moon
Snow moon
Winter maker moon
This full moon is also called the long night moon because it’s set to rise a few nights after the longest nights of the year. The Winter Solstice occurs on Dec. 21 every year and marks the day with the least daylight and when the sun is set for the most time.
