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:

Jun 16, 2018Drop in on International Surfing Day
Dec 24, 2023Christmas Eve
Jul 28, 2026World Nature Conservation Day
Jul 23, 2026Pink dahlia flower
May 11, 2023Henningsvær Stadion, Norway
Jun 11, 2025Greater flamingos, Lüderitz, Namibia
Jul 5, 2019Peel Castle on St. Patrick’s Isle with the Isle of Man in the background
Nov 17, 2025National Take a Hike Day
May 9, 2025International Chameleon Day
Dec 3, 2024Amber Fort, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
Dec 21, 2021Winter solstice
Mar 27, 2023New York City skyline
Dec 12, 2019On the lookout for Sheep-Cote Clod
Feb 24, 2021Getting to the bottom of the underwater waterfall
Jul 25, 2018Splashes of color for Watercolor Month
Feb 17, 2026Chinese New Year
Nov 29, 2020New Zealand s loneliest mountain
May 6, 2024The Roaches ridge in the Peak District, England
Oct 1, 2021What s better than a smile?
Mar 25, 2019Greece celebrates its independence
Nov 17, 2024Red deer stag in Glen Affric, Scottish Highlands
Mar 11, 2021Welcome to the drainpipe of the Pacific
Oct 26, 2019 FOR FOREST by Klaus Littmann
Aug 9, 2025International Day of the Worlds Indigenous Peoples
Jul 21, 2018And you thought moths were boring
Aug 1, 2018Don’t look down
Sep 30, 2023Shenandoah National Park, Virginia
Aug 22, 2022Burrowing owls
Aug 20, 2019Lakeside serenity in Finland
Dec 22, 2021Illuminating Annecy