Tonight the moon is full and certainly worthy of a good look (technically, the moon is full on December 2nd, but in the early morning hours. why not look tonight and tomorrow?). This being December 1st, we will have the opportunity to observe two full moons this month. The second full moon will occur on December 31st, the last night of the year.
As has been described by others, the full moon of each month carries several names. Autumn’s Harvest Moon is best know, followed by the Hunter’s Moon. Tonight’s full moon is known as the Cold Moon, or the Long Night Moon, both very appropriate names. It is also known as the Moon before Yule. The next full moon, on New Year’s Eve, will be the Moon after Yule, not surprisingly.
I went out late last night (really early this morning; I almost forgot all about it!) to have a look at the moon, as November 30th marked the 400th anniversary of Galileo’s first telescopic observation, and the first thing he looked at was naturally the moon (it was a waxing crescent, and he watched it set). I took a photo to commemorate the occasion, and you can see it below.
Have a look at the moon this month, and think of the passing seasons, how we are treated to two full moons this month and how after so many years, Galileo’s first steps into a new science still carry so much meaning for us.
