Final Cold Moon Of The Decade Will Appear On 12/12 At 12:12AM

PA/NASA

I can’t quite believe that in just a few short weeks we will be hurtling into the new roaring twenties, with a fresh new decade lying before us.

And astronomy buffs may be interested to learn the final ‘Cold Moon’ of this strange, complicated mess of a decade will make its peak appearance above the Eastern United States at precisely 12:12am EST on December 12.

Named as such because of its wintery arrival, the Cold Moon is also sometimes referred to as the ‘Long Night Moon’, or the ‘Moon Before Yule’. Think of it as a mysterious, glowing – and even rounder – version of Father Christmas.

NASA

As reported by the Farmers Almanac, this midwinter full moon has ‘a high trajectory across the sky’, meaning it sits above the horizon for a longer period of time.

And the mysteriously in sync date and time of this Cold Moon could prove significant for those of a superstitious nature – marking a time to wrap things up and start anew. Sort of like a practice run for New Year’s Eve.

According to Numerology Secrets:

The number 12 is at the very end of the numerology spectrum, and it offers those who see it in their daily life the opportunity to wrap up a certain life stage and situation before moving forward to bigger and better things.

This number is like a curtain call that allows you to get your affairs together so you can benefit from the windfall that the universe is about to bestow on you.

Somewhat intriguingly, the very next day after the peak Cold Moon will be Friday 13th, meaning this could well be a week full of surprises, depending on what you believe. It also takes place just one day after the UK general election, so make of that what you will.

If – unlike me – you baulk at such old wives’ tales, then there is still plenty to find fascinating about this pre-Yuletide visitor, which will still sit above the horizon as the Geminid meteor shower reaches its peak.

Regarded to be a highlight of the meteor shower calendar, the Geminid meteor shower will still be visible to stargazers despite taking place during a bright full moon.

According to NASA:

The moon will appear full for about three days around this time, from the evening of Thursday, Dec. 8 through the morning — and possibly the evening — of Sunday, Dec. 11.

The very first full moon of the 2020s will rise on January 10. According to timeanddate.com, this will be a ‘Wolf Moon’, referred to as such because wolves howl a lot in January. Probably because they have just checked their post-Christmas credit card statements…

If you have a story you want to tell, send it to UNILAD via [email protected]

Julia Banim

Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.