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                           Astronomy Picture of the Day   
      
       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   
      
                                The Long Night Moon   
      Image Credit & Copyright: Giorgia Hofer and 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 last Full   
      Moon of 2024. This Full Moon was also at a 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 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   
        __________________________________________________________________   
      
          Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)   
               NASA Official: Amber Straughn Specific rights apply.   
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                         A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC,   
                              NASA Science Activation   
                                & Michigan Tech. U.   
      
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