The December supermoon will close the astronomical year with an extraordinary event.
This Thursday, December 4th, the full Moon will reach its closest point to Earth in a configuration that will not be repeated until 2042.
The phenomenon combines three rare factors: an extremely close perigee, an unusual brightness, and an exceptional position within the 18.6-year lunar cycle.
December Supermoon: What time to observe it?
The satellite will reach its fullness on Thursday, December 4th at 20:14 Argentine time, 18:14 in Colombia, and 17:14 in Mexico.
However, it is already visible from Wednesday and will last until Friday with an almost complete appearance.
In Argentina, it will appear at a low altitude, with golden or reddish tones due to atmospheric refraction.
In the northern hemisphere, on the other hand, it will be positioned very high in the sky and will remain visible for a longer time.
The characteristics of the December Supermoon
The Moon will approach 357,219 kilometers from Earth, increasing its apparent size by 8% compared to an average full Moon.
Its brightness will increase by about 16%, allowing for sharper and more detailed captures.
This December supermoon will also be called Cold Moon in the northern hemisphere.
It will come closer than any other since April 2020, except for the supermoon of November 2025.
The conditions include:
- Perigee at 357,219 km distance
- Increase of 8% in apparent size
- Increase of 16% in brightness
- Synchronization with the 18.6-year standstill cycle
A cycle of almost two decades
The extreme nature of the phenomenon arises from a complex astronomical process. The lunar orbit is oval, inclined, and subject to long-term movements that modify the maximum and minimum height it reaches in the sky.
Every 18.6 years, a standstill occurs, a cycle marking the widest positions of the Moon to the north and south. During 2024 and 2025, a major standstill develops.
The December supermoon of 2024 appears at the most extreme point of the cycle: its location will be the highest of the year in the northern hemisphere and the lowest in the southern hemisphere.
For this reason, December marks a temporal limit. The next full Moon with a comparable configuration will not arrive until 2042, when the standstill once again places the satellite in extreme positions.
An opportunity for astrophotographers
The coincidence between fullness and perigee will open an extraordinary opportunity for those wishing to photograph the event.
Atmospheric conditions and the proximity of the satellite will allow for sharper captures.
Amateurs will have several observation opportunities. The most imposing view will arise at sunrise or sunset in each region, when the disk touches the horizon and shows its largest apparent size.
On December 5th, a day after the exact fullness, it will also be exceptional.
It will be ideal for those wishing to try binoculars or beginner telescopes in lunar observation.
A supermoon is technically a syzygy, the straight alignment between the Earth, the Moon, and the Sun.
This arrangement allows the natural satellite to emerge from the eastern horizon while the sky maintains twilight light.
This event will remind us that even frequent phenomena like a full Moon can transform when long cycles, extreme positions, and minimum distances converge.
The night sky will reveal a scenario that will not be repeated for almost two decades.
