Full Moon December 2026: The Cold Moon
Date: December 23-24, 2026 · Time: 01:28 UTC (Dec 24) / evening Dec 23 in US time zones
This is a supermoon -- the moon is closer to Earth than average, making it appear slightly larger and brighter.
The biggest full moon of 2026.
The full moon in December 2026 is the Cold Moon, marking the start of winter's harshest stretch. In 2026 it's also a supermoon and the biggest full moon of the year.
Viewing notes
The full moon rises around sunset and is visible all night, weather permitting. For the best view, look toward the eastern horizon shortly after sunset on the date above -- no special equipment needed.
Where this date comes from
This date and time come from published astronomical calendars, not this site's own calculation engine, since precise full-moon timing depends on more than the mean-cycle approximation used elsewhere on this site. See the sourcing note below for both cited sources.
Common questions
What time zone is 01:28 UTC (Dec 24) / evening Dec 23 in US time zones shown in?
UTC. Convert it to your own time zone to know when to look -- for example, US Eastern Time is UTC minus 4 or 5 hours depending on the time of year.
How precise is this date and time?
Down to the minute -- it's sourced from two independent astronomical calendars (Star Walk and Farmers' Almanac) that agree with each other after converting time zones, not from this site's own mean-cycle formula.
What makes this a supermoon?
It falls close to the point in the moon's orbit where it's nearest to Earth (perigee), which makes it appear slightly larger and brighter than an average full moon.
The December 23-24, 2026 full moon date and 01:28 UTC (Dec 24) / evening Dec 23 in US time zones time are sourced directly from Star Walk's 2026 full moon calendar and cross-checked against Farmers' Almanac's independently published time (converted from Eastern Time to UTC), both cited below. The two sources agree to the minute.
Sources: Star Walk, Full Moon Calendar 2026, Farmers' Almanac, Full Moon Dates and Times.