Full ‘Cold Moon’ will shine all weekend in Kamloops, Okanagan

Anybody wanting to bundle up with a hot chocolate to view the full December moon will likely have to contend with clouds and possibly snow in the Okanagan and Kamloops.

The full Cold Moon reaches peak illumination at 1:02 a.m. on Dec. 15, appearing full from Friday evening to Monday morning, making it a full moon weekend.

December’s full moon has many names including Cold Moon and Long Night Moon due to the frigid winter temperatures at this time of year and the close proximity to winter solstice on Dec. 21, which marks the longest night of the year, according to The Old Farmer's Almanac.

Ancient European pagans called it Moon Before Yule as the full moon comes before the Yuletide festival that celebrates the sun’s return after winter solstice.

The Cold Moon shines above the horizon for a longer time than most full moons, but viewers will have to be patient this year as clouds are in the forecast for the weekend with snow predicted for Friday night.

If you get an awesome photo of the full moon, send it to news@infonews.ca.

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