Vancouverites have the opportunity to bathe in the silvery light of a full moon just days before the longest night of the year—and that means ample viewing time.
Each year, December's full "cold" moon illuminates the night sky during the darkest days of the year, although they aren't always the coldest in Vancouver.
According to The Old Farmer's Almanac, some Native American groups call it the 'long nights moon,' because it occurs near the winter solstice—the day with the least amount of daylight.
The name 'cold moon' became associated with the December full moon due to the month's frosty winter weather.
The moon will be at its fullest on Saturday, Dec. 18 at 8:35 p.m. in Vancouver, according to timeanddate.com.
Sky-watchers should opt to travel as far away from city lights as possible in order to avoid light pollution that will obscure the clarity of heavenly bodies. While this works best in more remote places, anywhere that has a higher elevation will also provide more ideal viewing conditions.
Longest lunar eclipse of the century
Last month, locals were able to view the longest partial lunar eclipse of the century, although the night was partially cloudy. The eclipse coincided with the full "beaver" moon and lasted a whopping three hours, 28 minutes and 23 seconds.
A local photographer captured a couple of spellbinding images of the rare event. He commented: "Despite a rainy day leading up to the eclipse, breaks in the clouds formed at the right time here in Vancouver to reveal the beautiful spectacle. I shot this image at around 1 a.m., at the peak of the eclipse!"
Have a look at his breathtaking eclipse photographs.
