The 13th and final lunar event of 2020 will be visible for two days. Known as the “Cold Moon,” the final full moon of the year will be visible on 29, 30 December and will be brightest on the second day in India.
Why is the Full Moon Visible on Two Days?
The Moon reaches 100 percent illumination at 03:29 Universal Time on Wednesday, 30 December. That means that while Asia Pacific, Europe and Africa will have a full Moon on that date, it actually occurs the day before for both South America and North America – at precisely 10:29 pm EST and 7:29 pm PST on Tuesday, 29 December 2020, thus creating two Full Moon sightings.
When Will the Cold Moon be Visible in India?
The best time to view the Cold Moon in India will be at 7:54 pm IST on 29 December and 8:57 pm on 30 December. The best time to watch full moons is when they can be most easily seen, during moonrise, which occurs in the eastern sky. The peak time to watch the Cold Moon is around 15 minutes after moonrise.
The full moon of December always rises the highest in the sky. The Cold Moon comes just a few days after the longest night of the year. Because of this, the Cold Moon will take a higher and more northerly trajectory in the night sky as it is opposite to the low sun.
The moon will be above the horizon longer than at other time of the year and pass close to the zenith, the point directly overhead in the sky.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)