The final full moon of 2025 treated stargazers to a high-flying lunar spectacle as the “Cold Moon” glowed among the stars of the constellation Taurus on Dec. 4.
December’s full moon was the third in a string of “Supermoons” — full moons that occur when the moon reaches its closest point to Earth in its monthly orbit. Around this time, it can appear up to 14% larger and 30% brighter than the smallest moon of the year, sometimes known as a “micromoon”.
Photographers across the world leapt into action to capture the “Cold Moon” — named for the plummeting early-winter temperatures — as it rose above the eastern horizon on Dec. 4 before soaring high into the Autumn sky. As such, we have indelible proof that the last full moon of the year provided a dazzling closing act to both the lunar calendar and 2025 as a whole.
Read on to enjoy a selection of the best images of the full “Cold Moon”, as captured through the lens of the global astrophotography community. If you’re inspired to try shooting the night sky yourself, be sure to check out our roundups of the best cameras and lenses for astrophotography, along with our guide to imaging the moon.
The full “Cold Supermoon” of December 2025 — in pictures
Our first lunar portrait comes courtesy of Space.com’s own Daisy Dobrijevic, who captured a gorgeous view of the moon with an iPhone 16 Pro from the Teide National Park on the island of Tenerife on Dec. 3 — the evening before the moon turned full — while on a New Scientist Discovery Tour exploring the volcanoes and astronomy of the Canary Islands. “Even though the near full moon thwarted some sky watching efforts, it sure knew how to light up a stunning landscape,” Dobrijevic told Space.com in an email.
Kwong Liew was also able to create a spectacular composite, time-lapse image of the “Cold Moon” rising behind the Salesforce Tower in San Francisco on the night of Dec. 4, as the city itself shone in the soft evening light.
Photographer Daniel Cardenas managed to capture this well-timed view of the moon’s fully-lit disk as it rose between the wings of the Angel of Independence monument in Mexico City on the night of Dec. 4, as lunar seas darkened its ancient surface.
This crisp view of the moon shining in a deep blue sky was captured in the skies over the city of Lisbon in Portugal by Henrique Casinhas, revealing streaks of reflective material emanating away from major impact craters scarring the face of Earth’s natural satellite.
Photographer Gary Hershorn captured this striking image of an orange full moon rising between the skyscrapers that dominate the New York skyline in the period following sunset on Dec. 4.
Patrick T. Fallon snapped an almost spectral view of the moon shining out from behind a thin veil of cloud as a cross formed from two converging airplane contrails drifted across its disk as it glowed in the sky over Los Angeles.
This artfully positioned shot of the “Cold Moon” shining in the palm of an LED fairy was taken by Rasid Necati Aslim in London, U.K., on Dec. 4, as the Earth-facing lunar surface bathed in the light of the sun.
Thousands of miles away on the same night, photographer Yan Dongliang captured the lunar disk as it shone next to a carved stone rooftop in the Liaoning Province of China.
Photographer Tiziana Fabi was able to capture a spectacular view of a murmuration of starlings as they passed in front of the moon’s disk in the skies above Rome on the night of Dec. 4
Hakan Akgun snapped a moody view of a deep orange moon wreathed in cloud as it rose above Istanbul, Turkey, on Dec. 4, as the illuminated form of the Blue Mosque cast a beautiful reflection in the foreground body of water.
Next, we have a striking view of the “Cold Moon” shining above the dome of the Capitol Building in Washington D.C., captured by photographer Celel Gunes, as the Statue of Freedom perched atop it appears to stare out at the glowing lunar disk.
This wide-angle view of the moon rising over the San Gabriel Mountains as the city of Los Angeles shines below was taken by Patrick T. Fallon from the Kenneth Hahn State Recreational Area at moonrise on Dec. 4.
Our last shot is a beautifully lined-up telephoto shot from photographer Huseyin Demirci as the moon rose over Sarikamis in Turkey on Dec. 4, in which an optical illusion gives the impression that a man is carrying the lunar disk in a wheelbarrow.
If you missed the “Cold Moon” rise on Dec. 4, there’s no need to worry. The lunar disk will continue to appear full to the casual observer over the next few nights. As a bonus the final supermoon in the current four-month run of them will rise on Jan. 3, 2026, presenting a spectacular natural light show as it opens up yet another year of dazzling lunar events.
Editor’s Note: If you would like to share your lunar astrophotography with Space.com’s readers, then please send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@space.com.
Author: Anthony Wood
Source: Space.com
Reviewed By: Editorial Team
