For the first time in 38 years, the Christmas night sky will have a full moon. What joy! The last time this occurred was in 1977 — not too long after the release of the movie Saturday Night Fever. The next Christmas full moon won't appear until the year 2034, NASA has confirmed.
Of course, this mostly just means there'll be a brighter night sky if it isn't cloudy. (And if there's snow on the ground, Christmas night will take on a particularly ethereal and somber beauty.)
But you know what would be even cooler and rarer? A Christmastime lunar eclipse.
NASA maintains a calendar of every lunar eclipse that will occur until the year 3000 — should humanity last that long. Lunar eclipses only occur a couple or more times per year — and it's rare for them to hit the same date twice.
The next time a lunar eclipse will occur on Christmas will be December 25, 2531, a time nearly as far away from today as Columbus's voyage to America.
Of course, this mostly just means there'll be a brighter night sky if it isn't cloudy. (And if there's snow on the ground, Christmas night will take on a particularly ethereal and somber beauty.)
But you know what would be even cooler and rarer? A Christmastime lunar eclipse.
NASA maintains a calendar of every lunar eclipse that will occur until the year 3000 — should humanity last that long. Lunar eclipses only occur a couple or more times per year — and it's rare for them to hit the same date twice.
The next time a lunar eclipse will occur on Christmas will be December 25, 2531, a time nearly as far away from today as Columbus's voyage to America.
December’s full moon is also known as the Full Cold Moon. According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, certain Native American cultures have dubbed the event the Long Nights Moon, as the winter solstice kicks off around the same time, bringing with it the longest night of the year.
In the Northern Hemisphere, the winter solstice will occur on December 22 at 11:48 a.m. ET.
In the Northern Hemisphere, the winter solstice will occur on December 22 at 11:48 a.m. ET.
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