After New Moon on December 8, the illuminated part grows until Full Moon on December 23.
Daily portraits show the Moon at local noon, with north at the top. Main phase times mark the exact moment.
Select a Moon to see it up close. NASA SVS · Moon Lab / NASA LRO
When to look
Look on the night of December 23 into December 24: the Moon rises at 3:57 PM EST and sets at 8:07 AM EST. The exact Full Moon is at 8:29 PM EST that night. You don’t need to catch that minute: the Moon looks full all night.
December 23 → December 24 · New York
Follow the curve to see how high the Moon will be and which way to look. Choose a time on the chart or use the slider.
Height above the horizon
Look toward the east. The Moon is climbing higher in the sky.
Moonrise: December 23, 3:57 PM EST. Moonset: December 24, 8:07 AM EST.
Sunset 4:32 PM EST · Sunrise 7:17 AM EST · Near the horizon, the Moon can look warmer in color.
Around December 1, the Moon appears half-lit. Its illuminated part then diminishes toward New Moon on December 8.
Around December 17, the Moon appears half-lit. It then grows brighter on its way to Full Moon on December 23.
Around December 30, the Moon appears half-lit. Its illuminated part then diminishes toward New Moon on January 7.
| City | Phase local time | Moonrise | Moonset | Timezone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York, US | December 8, 2026, at 7:53 PM EST | 7:03 AM EST | 3:51 PM EST | America/New_York |
| Los Angeles, US | December 8, 2026, at 4:53 PM PST | 6:42 AM PST | 4:19 PM PST | America/Los_Angeles |
| London, GB | December 9, 2026, at 12:53 AM GMT | 8:52 AM GMT | 3:35 PM GMT | Europe/London |
| Toronto, CA | December 8, 2026, at 7:53 PM EST | 7:38 AM EST | 4:01 PM EST | America/Toronto |
| Sydney, AU | December 9, 2026, at 11:53 AM AEDT | 5:11 AM AEDT | 8:24 PM AEDT | Australia/Sydney |
| City | Phase local time | Moonrise | Moonset | Timezone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York, US | December 23, 2026, at 8:29 PM EST | 3:57 PM EST | 7:05 AM EST | America/New_York |
| Los Angeles, US | December 23, 2026, at 5:29 PM PST | 4:28 PM PST | 6:45 AM PST | America/Los_Angeles |
| London, GB | December 24, 2026, at 1:29 AM GMT | 4:06 PM GMT | 8:56 AM GMT | Europe/London |
| Toronto, CA | December 23, 2026, at 8:29 PM EST | 4:07 PM EST | 7:41 AM EST | America/Toronto |
| Sydney, AU | December 24, 2026, at 12:29 PM AEDT | 8:36 PM AEDT | 5:11 AM AEDT | Australia/Sydney |
No. The phase has an exact time, but the Moon’s shape changes gradually. Near a quarter, it looks half-lit for about a day on either side, and a crescent grows or shrinks only a little from one night to the next.
The Full Moon happens at one moment worldwide, but local clocks put it on different dates. For example, the Full Moon of December 23 in New York falls on December 24 in Sydney.
The Full Moon of December 23 is traditionally called the Cold Moon. These names come from North American tradition and follow Northern Hemisphere seasons, so in the Southern Hemisphere they don’t match the season.
