Astronomy Picture of the Day [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2024 December 20 [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest resolution version available. The Long Night Moon Image Credit & [3]Copyright: [4]Giorgia Hofer and [5]Dario Giannobile (Pictores caeli) Explanation: On the night of December 15, the Full Moon was bright. Known to some as the Cold Moon or the Long Night Moon, it was the closest Full Moon to the northern winter solstice and the [6]last Full Moon of 2024. This Full Moon was also at a [7]major lunar standstill. A major lunar standstill is an extreme in the monthly north-south range of moonrise and moonset caused by the precession of the Moon's orbit over an 18.6 year cycle. As a result, the full lunar phase was near the Moon's northernmost moonrise (and moonset) along the horizon. December's Full Moon is rising in this stacked image, a composite of exposures recording the range of brightness visible to the eye on the northern winter night. Along with a colorful [8]lunar corona and aircraft contrail this Long Night Moon shines in a cold sky above the rugged, snowy peaks of the Italian Dolomites. Tomorrow's picture: major solar standstill __________________________________________________________________ [9]< | [10]Archive | [11]Submissions | [12]Index | [13]Search | [14]Calendar | [15]RSS | [16]Education | [17]About APOD | [18]Discuss | [19]> __________________________________________________________________ Authors & editors: [20]Robert Nemiroff ([21]MTU) & [22]Jerry Bonnell ([23]UMCP) NASA Official: Amber Straughn [24]Specific rights apply. [25]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices A service of: [26]ASD at [27]NASA / [28]GSFC, [29]NASA Science Activation & [30]Michigan Tech. U. References 1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2412/CoronaLunareRevdgpicc.jpg 3. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 4. https://www.giorgiahoferphotography.com/ 5. https://www.dariogiannobile.com/ 6. https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/skywatching/the-next-full-moon-is-the-cold-moon-frost-moon-or-winter-moon/ 7. https://www.timeanddate.com/news/astronomy/lunar-standstill-2024-2025 8. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240629.html 9. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap241219.html 10. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 11. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html 12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html 13. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search 14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html 15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss 16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html 17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html 18. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=241220 19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap241221.html 20. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html 21. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/ 22. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html 23. http://www.astro.umd.edu/ 24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 25. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html 26. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 27. https://www.nasa.gov/ 28. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/ 29. https://science.nasa.gov/learners 30. http://www.mtu.edu/