The full moon (tatkresiwok - Inuit) occurs when the Sun and the Moon are on exact opposite sides of the Earth every 29.53 days. This lunar phase is known by many different names, cultures, religions and languages, depending on the month it occurs. This late fall full moon occurs in December and is known as the Big Moon, Oak Moon, Long Night's Moon, or Full Cold Moon.
The full moon for the month of December is at its fullest at 3:14 PM on Thursday the 4th.
...and the sun sets at 4:43 PM and the moon rises at 4:22 PM.
This is just about the best night to view the moon at its fullest after it rises today! Come join us for a meet-n-greet in the evening and to watch the full moon rise over the treetops of Claremont
The event begins at 4:30 PM and the event will officially end by 6:00 PM, but there may be some early birds and lingering about into the night.
Please do bring your bugs and coins for trading, discovering, or just to show them off. There are no food or beverage establishments nearby, but there is a bathroom, although we can't guarantee if it will be open after dark. On warm days, there are usually some cold beverages and the pizza stays hot! If you plan on bringing something to share, be sure to post it in a note. Please remember to dress appropriately for the temperature and weather conditions, as this event is outdoors and rain or shine. The terrain is mostly cement and wheelchairs have access to the venue from the south end of the parking lot. You may want to bring blankets and/or camp chairs.
It is interesting to note that often, calendars indicating moon phases may be off by a day when intended for use in a different time zone. Don't be late or you just might miss out on this magical time as the sun sets and the full moon rises.
Today is...
- Eid il-Burbara, a holiday similar to Halloween in honor of Saint Barbara. (Russia, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, Turkey)
- Navy Day (India)
- Thai Environment Day (Thailand)
- Tupou I Day (Tonga)
On this day...
- 1786 – Mission Santa Barbara is dedicated (on the feast day of Saint Barbara).
- 1865 – North Carolina ratifies 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, followed two days later by Georgia, and U.S. slaves were legally free within two weeks.
- 1881 – The first edition of the Los Angeles Times is published.
- 1918 – U.S. President Woodrow Wilson sails for the World War I peace talks in Versailles, becoming the first US president to travel to Europe while in office.
- 1945 – By a vote of 65–7, the United States Senate approves United States participation in the United Nations. (The UN had been established on October 24, 1945.)
- 1956 – The Million Dollar Quartet (Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Johnny Cash) get together at Sun Studio for the first and last time.
- 1978 – Following the murder of Mayor George Moscone, Dianne Feinstein becomes San Francisco's first female mayor.
Notable births...
- 1892 – Francisco Franco, Spanish general and dictator, Prime Minister of Spain (died 1975)
- 1912 – Pappy Boyington, American colonel and pilot, Medal of Honor recipient (died 1988)
- 1923 – Charles Keating, American lawyer and financier (died 2014)
- 1944 – Dennis Wilson, American singer-songwriter, producer, and drummer (died 1983)
- 1949 – Jeff Bridges, American actor
- 1964 - Marisa Tomei, American actress
- 2021 - NoraFindsIt, American geocacher and tiny human
Notable deaths...
- 1902 – Charles Dow, American journalist and publisher, co-founded the Dow Jones & Company (born 1851)
- 1938 – Tamanishiki San'emon, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 32nd Yokozuna (born 1903)
- 1945 - Richárd Weisz, Hungarian Olympic champion wrestler (born 1879)
- 1967 - Bert Lahr, American actor (born 1895)
- 1993 - Frank Zappa, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (born 1940)
- 1999 – Rose Bird, American academic and judge, 25th Chief Justice of California (born 1936)
- 2015 - Robert Loggia, American actor and director (born 1930)
Note: If you are feeling sick, it is asked that you wait to attend in person events. Anyone who has Covid-19 symptoms, who has been in recent contact with a positive case, or might think they have been, is asked to not attend the event for the safety of themselves and others.
For Planning Purposes - Full Moon Dates for 2026
Saturday, January 3 at 2:04 AM
Sunday, February 1 at 2:10 PM
Tuesday, March 3 at 3:39 AM
Wednesday, April 1 at 7:13 PM
Friday, May 1 at 10:24 AM
Sunday, May 31 at 1:46 AM
Monday, June 29 at 4:58 PM
Wednesday, July 29 at 7:37 AM
Thursday, August 27 at 9:19 PM
Saturday, September 26 at 9:50 AM
Sunday, October 25 at 9:13 PM
Tuesday, November 24 at 6:55 AM
Wednesday, December 23 at 5:29 PM