As the 2025 year comes to a close, there are six upcoming astrological events that will occur in the month of December. An astrological event is defined as “a phenomenon or occurrence in the universe… that can be observed or predicted.” These events can also include detections of new celestial objects, advancements made in technology, and other scientific achievements. Some examples of astrological events include: lunar phases, solar eclipses, meteor showers, planetary alignments, solstices, and supermoons.
Lunar phases are the changing of the appearance of the Moon throughout the month. Examples of lunar phases are a new Moon, crescent Moon, full Moon, etc. Solar eclipses are when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth which blocks the light from the Sun. The most recent eclipse was in March of 2025. Meteor showers are when the Earth passes through the trail of debris left behind by an asteroid or a comet. Planetary alignments are when planets appear to line up in a specific pattern from our perspective on Earth. Solstices are either the longest or shortest days of the year. Supermoons are a full moon that occurs when the moon is closest to Earth in its orbit.
On December 4th, you can expect what is called the Super Cold Moon. The Cold Moon is one of the traditional names for a Full Moon in December because of the winter in the Northern Hemisphere. For the second month in a row, this is also a Supermoon.
On December 7th, you can look forward to Mercury at Greatest Elongation West. This is when Venus and Mercury appear at their furthest points from the Sun in our sky. This is happening for the 6th and final time this calendar year.
Watch for the Geminid Meteors on December 13th and 14th. The Geminids peak around the night depending on the time zone. It is seen as one of the best meteor showers of the year.
On December 20th, you can look for the New Moon. The final New Moon for the year of 2025 falls at 1:43 UTC (8:43 pm EST), it is sometimes called the invisible phase due to the dark appearance or its absence in the sky.
The December Solstice can be viewed on December 21st, 2025. It will take place at 15:03 UTC (10:03 am EST). In the Northern Hemisphere, it will be the shortest day of the year. At the same time, in the Southern Hemisphere, it is the summer solstice which makes it the longest day of the year. The seasons are opposite for the two Hemispheres due to the Earth’s axis having a tilt of about 23.4 degrees which causes different parts of the Earth to experience varying amounts of solar energy.
The final event that you can expect in December is the Ursid Meteors. Just like previous years, the astronomical year wraps up with the Ursid meteor shower, which should peak sometime on December 21st or 22nd. A meteor shower is often referred to as shooting stars that flash across the night sky
Make sure to be on the lookout if any of these events are an interest to you!
