Final supermoon of 2025: Cold moon captivates skies worldwide

The final supermoon of the year has graced the skies.

Known as cold moon, because it occurs during the time of year when the winter's coldest and longest nights begin in the Northern Hemisphere, it was the third and final supermoon of 2025.

Wen Kou, a senior engineer at the Beijing Planetarium, explained that a supermoon is more precisely known as a "perigee full moon" in astronomy. The moon orbits the Earth in an elliptical path, and the closest point to Earth in its orbit is called the perigee, while the farthest point is known as the apogee.

When the moon is at the perigee, it is closest to us, appearing larger in the sky. When it is at the apogee, it is farthest away from us, making it appear smaller. If a full moon coincides with its proximity to the perigee, it appears especially large and round, which is commonly referred to as a "supermoon."

The full moon this time occurred at around 7:14 a.m. Beijing Time, with the moon passing perigee about 12 hours prior. It was the second largest full moon of 2025, with the largest having appeared on November 5.

Astronomers calculated that the difference in the distance between the Earth and the moon, as well as the apparent diameter, between the two supermoons is so small that to the naked eye, they appear nearly identical in size and brightness. Only well-trained observers may notice a slight difference in the size of the two full moons.

Here are some beautiful views of the supermoon from around the world.

December will feature a series of stunning astronomical events.

One of the highlights will be the planetary conjunction, where the moon and Jupiter appear close together in the sky on the evening of December 7. Then, on December 14, the Geminid meteor shower will reach its peak, offering a spectacular display of shooting stars.