On the night of December 4 to 5, 2025, Earth’s inhabitants will witness the third and most impressive supermoon of the year. According to Vladilen Sanakoev, an engineer at the training astronomical observatory of Ural Federal University, the December Moon will rise higher above the horizon than at any other time this year and will come to within less than 360 thousand kilometers of Earth, one of the closest approaches of the year.

On the night of December 4 to 5, the most striking supermoon of the year will occur. The December supermoon will be characterized by the highest Moon above the horizon, Sanakoev emphasized in a conversation with TASS.

Snow cover in the Northern Hemisphere will additionally enhance the brightness of the night landscape: moonlight reflected from the snow will make the night almost like day.

Why the December Supermoon Will Be the Highest

In December, the point of perigee, the closest point of the Moon’s orbit to Earth, coincides with the moment when the Moon is almost at the zenith for mid latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. The angular distance from the horizon will reach the maximum of the year, up to 70 to 75 degrees in Moscow and Yekaterinburg, and even higher in more northern cities.

A December Bonus: The Geminids and Saturn’s Thin Rings

Nine days later, on the night of December 14, the second strongest meteor shower of the year, the Geminids, will peak, with up to 120 to 150 meteors per hour under ideal conditions. That same night, observers will be able to see Jupiter’s four largest moons and the thinnest rings of Saturn in the past fourteen years. Due to the tilt of the rings relative to the line of sight, they will almost disappear in 2025 to 2026.

Reminder: What a Supermoon Is

A supermoon occurs when the full moon coincides with perigee within a window of a few hours. The Moon appears up to 14 percent larger and up to 30 percent brighter than usual. In 2025, there will be four such events. The November supermoon, the Beaver Moon, already passed with only a nine hour difference between the full moon and perigee, one of the most accurate alignments of the decade.

In Brief

The highest and brightest supermoon of 2025 will occur on the night of December 4 to 5. The Moon will rise at its maximum height above the horizon, the distance to Earth will be under 360,000 kilometers, and snow will enhance illumination. One week later, on December 14, comes the peak of the Geminids and a rare view of Saturn’s thin rings. December is the best time for night sky observations this year.