This year marks the first Full Moon on Christmas Day since 1977

By | Published: December 22, 2015 | Last updated on May 18, 2023
fullmoonstuart
Photo by Adam Stuart
Santa likely won’t need Rudolph’s help this year, not with a Full Moon sharing the sky over Christmas Eve and morning. This is the first Full Moon to occur on Christmas Day since 1977; another one won’t arrive until 2034.

Our satellite officially reaches Full phase at 6:11 a.m. EST, but it looks completely illuminated all night.

You can find it rising in the east around sunset and peaking high in the south close to midnight. The Moon passes from eastern Taurus into northern Orion during the course of the long winter’s night.