A supermoon is popularly defined as a new or full moon that coincides with the lunar orb making an especially close approach to Earth. This supermoon was just 221,824 miles away.
Cold Moon, Meteors, and More Can't-Miss Sky Events in December
Get ready to see a stunning full moon, two meteor showers, and other celestial wonders this month.
The coming month brings back-to-back meteor showers, the moon posing with planets, and plenty more reasons to look up at the night sky. You’ll even have the chance to catch the only visible supermoon of 2017.
So dust off those binoculars and mark your December calendar!
The December full moon is often called the cold moon in the Northern Hemisphere, because of its coincidence with chilly temperatures. This year’s cold moon officially arrives at 10:47 a.m. ET (15:47 UTC) on the 3rd. Less than a day later, the lunar orb will make its closest approach to Earth, reaching a distance of only 222,443 miles.
The mashup of a full moon and the lunar orb’s close approach is popularly dubbed a supermoon, and
