The moon really saved its best for last this year! By that, we mean that the last full moon of 2025, also known as a ‘Cold Moon’, just so happens to be a supermoon!
Because this week’s full moon just so happens to be a supermoon, it means that the moon will be roughly 10% closer than an average full moon, resulting in a much bigger and brighter full moon than usual.
When is this week’s ‘Cold Supermoon’ going to be visible?
As we mentioned above, the moon will appear nearly 100% full by late Wednesday evening, shining bright throughout the night, but it won’t reach its peak fullness until approximately 8:20 am on Thursday. The moon will continue to appear full through Thursday night.
Currently, the weather report for Wednesday evening seems to suggest clear skies into the evening, and while Thursday’s forecast is ‘partly cloudy’, there’s a fair chance you’ll be able to catch a glimpse of the full moon before it slips behind cloud coverage.
Why is this ‘Supermoon’ so special?
A Supermoon is a rarer occurrence than your average full moon, which takes place roughly every 29.5 days, or the total length of the lunar cycle.
A Supermoon, to put it simply, occurs when a full moon happens to take place when the moon is exactly at its closest point to Earth, a point known as the perigee.
Typically, there are around 3 or 4 supermoons per year; however, some years there can be as few as two, and other years as many as five!
Where is the best place around the District to see the supermoon?
The best spots around the District to view the supermoon will definitely be the same places that make for the best spots to catch a sunset around the District!
Here are a few options that we recommend for moon-gazing:
- The Tidal Basin
- Hains Point
- Kendall Point
- Gravelly Point