There’s just something about celestial spectacles that feels very portentous, imbued with meaning as the year comes to a close—which is why this month’s full moon, the last one of 2024, is an absolute must-see.
Here’s what you need to know about catching a glimpse of the year’s final full moon.
When is the last full moon of 2024 happening?
The last full moon of the year—the so-called Cold Moon—will be visible in Los Angeles on December 15. It’ll appear nearly full for about two days on either side of that date.
The moon will officially be full at 1:01am, which is either late Saturday night or early Sunday morning, depending on how you prefer to think about it. The moon will be visible in the western sky until 7:28am, when it ducks below the horizon, and it’ll rise again to the east at 5:02pm.
How to see the last full moon of 2024
Generally speaking, the clearer the sky, the better the chances of catching any sort of celestial occurrence. The moon is bright enough that you’ll still see it even among L.A.’s worst light pollution. But to truly admire the moon’s luminosity, you’re going to want to try to move away from city lights and find a dark place to gaze up at the sky. Wide open spaces are aplenty in Los Angeles, so you shouldn’t have a problem identifying an ideal viewing location—just remember that more or less before midnight, you’ll want a clear view of the eastern sky, and after that a view to the west.
Full moon 2025 schedule
If you’re not able to catch the last full moon of 2024, worry not: Mother Nature has many others scheduled for our viewing pleasure in the year to come.
Below, check out the full moon schedule for 2025:
– January 13
– February 12
– March 14
– April 12
– May 12
– June 11
– July 10
– August 9
– September 7
– October 6
– November 5
– December 4