See a rare full Moon on Christmas Day

NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Press Release

18 December 2015 Astronomy Now

This graphic represents the view due east at 7pm GMT on Christmas Day 2015 as seen from the centre of the British Isles, about an hour after full darkness has descended. The rising full Moon lies in the constellation Gemini, just above magnitude +1.9 star γ Geminorum, otherwise known as Alhena. This is the first time since 1977 that a full Moon has fallen on 25 December and the next time it occurs is 2034, so hopefully it will be clear! AN graphic by Ade Ashford.
This graphic represents the view due east at 7pm GMT on Christmas Day 2015 as seen from the centre of the British Isles, about an hour after full darkness has descended. The rising full Moon lies in the constellation Gemini, just above magnitude +1.9 star γ Geminorum, otherwise known as Alhena. This is the first time since 1977 that a full Moon has fallen on 25 December and the next time it occurs is 2034, so hopefully it will be clear! AN graphic by Ade Ashford.
December’s full Moon, the last of the year, is called the Full Cold Moon because it occurs during the beginning of winter. The instant that this month’s full lunar phase will occur is 11:11am GMT and it will rise at 4:32pm GMT as seen from the centre of the British Isles.

As you gaze up at the Christmas Moon, take note that NASA has a spacecraft currently orbiting Earth’s only natural satellite. NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) mission has been investigating the Moon’s surface since 2009.

How the Moon will appear on 25 December 2015. Image credits: NASA/Goddard/Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter.
How the Moon will appear on 25 December 2015. Image credits: NASA/Goddard/Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter.
“As we look at the Moon on such an occasion, it’s worth remembering that the Moon is more than just a celestial neighbour,” said John Keller, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. “The geologic history of the Moon and Earth are intimately tied together such that the Earth would be a dramatically different planet without the Moon.”

LRO has collected a treasure trove of data with its seven powerful instruments, making an invaluable contribution to our knowledge about the Moon.

Related Articles

News

ASTRO-H satellite poised to enhance views of X-ray sky

7 February 2016 Astronomy Now

A new science satellite, the ASTRO-H X-ray Observatory, will blast into Earth orbit this month. The project, led by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), aims to collect a wealth of new data on everything from the formation of galaxy clusters to the warping of space and time around black holes. ASTRO-H boasts a sensitivity level that is orders of magnitude better than previous technology.

Observing

See the Moon get close to prime-time Jupiter on 30 April

27 April 2018 Ade Ashford

Observers in Western Europe looking at the rising full Moon low in the southeast on the night of Monday, 30 April will also see conspicuous planet Jupiter close by, the pair fitting comfortably within the field of view of typical binoculars. Jupiter is close to opposition (9 May) and we show you how to identify its four main moons.

News

Lunar impact: how the Moon’s Mare Orientale was formed

29 October 2016 Astronomy Now

The Moon’s Orientale basin is an archetype of “multi-ring” basins found throughout the solar system. New research has enabled scientists to reconstruct Orientale’s formation using data from NASA’s GRAIL mission. It is now thought that the 580-mile-wide feature was created 3.8 billion years ago by an impacting object some 40 miles across travelling at about 9 miles per second.