Last Full Moon Of 2023 'Cold Moon' Viewing In Riverside County

TEMECULA, CA ? The last full moon of December, known as the Cold Moon, rose Christmas night, but it will still brighten the evening skies through Wednesday in Riverside County if you're lucky enough to see it.

The National Weather Service forecast for the Inland Empire calls for partly to mostly cloudy skies across much of the area.

This week, as the bright moon wanes, you?ll also be able to see three planets without the aid of binoculars or a telescope, although not all of them at the same time.

Saturn can be seen in the south-southwest sky until it sets at 6:18 pm. Pacific Time and Jupiter can be seen in the southeast sky until it sets around 2:37 a.m. Venus is visible from about 4:14 a.m. until sunrise, according to Space.

If you want to join Temecula Valley Astronomers out at South Coast Winery, the group gathers from 6 to 9 p.m. each Friday, weather permitting. You can find them with their telescopes aimed skyward and can spark conversations about the night sky, moon, and even when to spy Starlilnk of the space station passing by. A special star party is planned in Temecula on Jan. 16 at Peltzer Farms. Stay tuned for more information on that one.

The December full moon is known as the cold moon, a Mohawk name to describe what are typically frigid temperatures this time of year, according to The Old Farmer?s Almanac. Another name for the December full moon is the long night moon, a moniker given by the Mohicans because it rises so close to the winter solstice, the longest night of the year.

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December?s full moon shines brightly over the horizon for longer than most full moons, The Almanac noted.

Other names also reference the cold and snow. The Cree also called December?s full moon the drift clearing moon, the frost exploding trees moon and the hoar frost moon.

The Ogalala called it the moon of the popping trees, the Haida and Cherokee tribes called it the snow moon, and the Western Abenaki tribe called it the winter maker moon, according to The Almanac.

The first full moon of January, also known as the Wolf Moon, will rise from Jan. 21 through Jan. 25, 2024.

Join the Temecula Valley Astronomers at the South Coast Winery Star Party, weather permitting, on Jan. 26 to see the start of the waning cycle.