ByJamie Carter,
Senior Contributor.
Skywatchers after a dramatic celestial sight will be looking east after dark on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025, as December’s full moon peaks. However, since it rises in a bright sky, it’s moonrise on Friday, Dec. 5, that’s the best time to watch it appear on the east-northeast horizon. Known as the cold moon, as well as being the year’s final full moon and a supermoon, it will rise higher into the sky than any other full moon of the year.
According to Timeanddate, the moon will reach its full phase at 23:14 UTC (6:14 p.m. EST) on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025. However, North Americans will want to watch it rise on Friday, Dec. 5.
From all locations in the contiguous U.S., the sky will still be bright as the moon rises on Thursday, Dec. 4. The best time to watch on Friday, Dec. 5, will be 4:56 p.m. EST from New York and 5:27 p.m. from Los Angeles.
