December’s Cold Moon: The Final Supermoon of 2025
The final supermoon of 2025, known as the Cold Moon, will peak on December 4th, 2025. This event follows two earlier supermoons in 2025, occurring on October 8th and November 5th. A supermoon occurs when a full moon coincides with the moon’s closest approach to Earth in its orbit,resulting in a brighter and seemingly larger lunar display.
According to the Royal Museum Greenwich, the peak of the December 4th supermoon will occur at 11:14 PM GMT. This translates to 6:14 AM Western Indonesian Time (WIB) on Friday, December 5th, 2025.Time and Date confirms this, stating the peak will be at 23:14 UTC, which also converts to 6:14 WIB.
While the peak occurs as the sun begins to rise, the full supermoon will remain visible for several nights surrounding December 4th.
Viewing the Supermoon
The Cold Moon supermoon is readily visible to the naked eye. For optimal viewing, it’s recommended to find a location free from obstructions like tall buildings or trees. Forbes suggests seeking a high location, open field, or coastline facing east with a clear view of the eastern horizon. Observers may notice the moon appearing slightly larger shortly after rising, a phenomenon experts haven’t fully explained.
Impacts of a Supermoon
The closer proximity of the moon during a supermoon results in a stronger gravitational pull,leading to higher-than-usual sea tides,known as perigean spring tides. While this increased gravitational force doesn’t trigger massive disasters like tsunamis – the difference in tide height is typically only a few centimeters - it can perhaps cause coastal flooding or tidal flooding.
The DKI Jakarta Regional disaster Management Agency (@bpbddkijakarta on Instagram) has cautioned that the combination of the full moon phase and the supermoon phenomenon could increase the maximum height of sea water in Jakarta’s northern coastal areas. The brighter light emitted by the supermoon is also a direct result of its closer distance to Earth, specifically at its perigee point, as detailed in the book Seeing the Universe by Afrizal Efendi et al.
(sto/aku)
