Night of the ‘Cold Moon’ Dec 22, 2018

Historically, many cultures have looked to the moon rather than the sun to help track the months and seasons—and they adopted special names for full moons throughout the year. That’s why, in the Northern Hemisphere, a full moon that appears in December is known as the Cold Moon, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, a nod to the chilly temperatures of winter. Various American Indian tribes have given it equally descriptive names, including the Long Night Moon, as it occurs near the winter solstice. Other Native American terms include Oak Moon, Big Spirit Moon, and Snow Moon. The Cold Moon of 2018 rises this evening about 15 minutes after sunset. And in case you’re wondering, the moonrise on our homepage image today was photographed over the Thunderer, a mountain in Yellowstone National Park, in Wyoming.

© Tom Murphy/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Dec 22, 2019You ve never seen anything like this
Dec 22, 2020A holiday beacon of light
Dec 22, 2021Illuminating Annecy
Dec 22, 2022Galeries Lafayette, Paris
Dec 22, 2023Ljubljana, Slovenia
Dec 22, 2024Christmas tree at Crystal Pier, San Diego, California
Dec 22, 2025The Nutcracker performed by the Turkish State Opera and Ballet in Türkiye

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Jan 3, 2022Lick Observatory
Dec 14, 2021American robin
Aug 3, 2022Red-necked grebes during breeding season
May 15, 2024The Blue City of Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India
Nov 5, 2022Tigh Mor Trossachs on Loch Achray, Scotland
Mar 25, 2026Juvenile manatees in a freshwater spring, Crystal River, Florida
Nov 19, 2025Hungarian Parliament Building, Budapest, Hungary
Aug 22, 2018Summer’s in home stretch
Dec 10, 2019Congratulations, 2019 Nobel Prize laureates!
Nov 14, 2021First Cliff Walk
May 20, 2024World Bee Day
Oct 15, 2019The globe skimmers return
Sep 20, 2020Celebrating sea otters
Nov 4, 2025Tower Bridge, London, England
Feb 29, 2020It s leap day!
Mar 20, 2024National Cherry Blossom Festival
Jan 21, 2026Squirrel Appreciation Day
May 27, 2020Clouds over the River of Grass
Sep 9, 2018Welcome to ‘Hollywood North’
Oct 3, 2024Taj Mahal, Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India
Jan 14, 2021Summer huts in winter
Jan 10, 2026The Matterhorn reflected in Lake Stellisee at sunrise, Zermatt, Switzerland
Jan 26, 2018Eastern grey kangaroos in Australia’s Kosciuszko National Park
Apr 14, 2025National Dolphin Day
Nov 20, 2023World Childrens Day
Dec 20, 2021Ministry of Fun Santa School
Jun 12, 2022Big Bend National Park turns 78
Jan 22, 2023Mountain hare hopping into Lunar New Year
Aug 18, 2022Surströmming Day
Jul 17, 2022The Wave at Coyote Buttes