On Sunday, Dec. 3 the Cold Moon will rise, and it's sure to be a sight to behold.
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This moon is the first visible supermoon of 2017. December's full moon is also called the "cold moon" because it arrives in concurrence with the cold weather. This moon is the first visible supermoon of 2017
This Sunday's full moon will rise at perigee, or it's closest approach to earth, which is what gives it its status as a supermoon.
The moon will be the biggest and brightest in the sky at 3:45 AM (Eastern Time) on Monday. However, because of a phenomenon known as "moon illusion", it will look even bigger in the early evening on Sunday when it first rises.
Here's why we haven't been able to see the other three supermoons this year: A supermoon occurs when a full or new moon rises at perigee (its closest approach to earth). However, when a new moon rises at perigee, it's not visible to the naked eye. We had three such moons in 2017. We'll be making up for it next year though, with two more supermoons in January.
