A supermoon, then one of strongest meteor showers of 2025 peak soon over Illinois
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Cold supermoon peaks Dec. 4 over Illinois; best viewing at Dec. 5 moonrise.
- Geminid meteor shower will be active Dec. 4–17 and peaks night of Dec. 13–14.
- Peak meteor viewing Dec. 13 10pm–2am; expect over 100 meteors per hour in dark conditions.
In addition to the final supermoon moon of 2025, Illinois stargazers also have the chance to see a popular meteor shower peak this month.
The “cold” supermoon moon will peak at 7:20 a.m. Central Standard Time Thursday, Dec. 4. The full moon generally appears full the day before and after its peak, but Forbes reports the best time to see it will be at moonrise during dusk on Friday, Dec. 5.
The moon will rise over Belleville at 5:12 p.m. Dec. 5, according to online clock Time and Date. Weather conditions may not be ideal for stargazing in the metro-east. The National Weather Service St. Louis office reports Belleville will have partly cloudy skies Friday night, according to the forecast.
As you might expect, December’s “cold” moon gets its name from the seasonal chilly temperatures. Alternate names for the cold moon include the drift clearing moon, frost exploding trees moon, moon of the popping trees and hoar frost moon, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac. The almanac uses Indigenous moon names, along with monikers from colonial America and other North American sources.
December’s full cold moon will also be a supermoon, the third in the row. Supermoons appear up to 14% larger and 30% brighter than when the moon is at its furthest point, according to National Geographic.
A supermoon is defined as either a new or full moon that occurs when the moon is within 90% of its closest approach to earth, NASA reports, and supermoons are the “biggest and brightest” full moons of the year. Supermoon is not an official astronomical term, according to NASA, so definitions vary.
When to see a popular meteor shower in December
In addition to the cold supermoon, December will also bring the Geminid meteor shower, which the American Meteor Society reports is “usually the strongest meteor shower of the year.” One of the other strongest and most popular showers of the year is the Perseid shower in August.
The Geminids will be active Dec. 4 to Wednesday, Dec. 17, according to the American Meteor Society, peaking the night of Saturday, Dec. 13 to Sunday, Dec. 14. Geminids are often bright and intensely colored, and the moon will be 30% full when the shower peaks this year.
The meteor shower should be more visible this year compared to last year since the moon will be less full. In a dark location, stargazers could see more than 100 meteors per hour at the shower’s peak, AccuWeather reports.
The best time to see the Geminid meteor shower will be between 10 p.m. Dec. 13 to 2 a.m. Dec. 14, according to AccuWeather.
The St. Louis Astronomical Society will host its monthly meeting from 7:30 to 10 p.m. Friday, Dec. 19 at Washington University’s McDonnell Hall in room 162. The organization’s monthly meetings are open to the public.
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