December cold moon in UAE: When to watch 2020's last lunar spectacle

UAE residents, you can end the pandemic year 2020 with an over the moon feeling. A ‘cold moon’ will rise on Tuesday, December 29, at 5.53pm UAE time. It will be the last full moon of 2020 and the decade.

It will reach its peak illumination on Wednesday, December 30, at 8.04am. In the UAE, the cold moon will be visible on the night of December 29 all the way till the morning of December 30.

According to Nasa, all time zones will have a clear view of the celestial event.

Why is it called the cold moon?

The name comes from the Native American, Colonial American or other traditional sources passed down through generations. The name signifies the winter nip.

This full moon has also been called the Long Night Moon (Mohican), as it rises during the longest nights of the year — the December winter solstice.

This name is also apt as the full moon shines above the horizon for a longer period of time.

Other names that allude to the cold and snow include Drift Clearing Moon (Cree), Frost Exploding Trees Moon (Cree), Moon of the Popping Trees (Oglala), Hoar Frost Moon (Cree), Snow Moon (Haida, Cherokee) and Winter Maker Moon (Western Abenaki).

• Dubai
• Abu Dhabi