Supermoon 2016 Live Stream: How And When To Watch December ‘Cold Moon’

If you find that you’re having difficulty viewing the Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning Geminid Meteor Shower, it could be due to the brilliance of the Cold Moon.

Tuesday evening, the final full moon of 2016 -- a supermoon, nonetheless -- will be gracing the skies starting at 7:05 p.m. EST, when the moon will appear at its largest, according to Space.com. The Geminids Meteor Shower, which actually began Dec. 4, is expected to reach its peak moment during the evening hours of Tuesday night, coinciding with the Cold Moon. Although the intensity of the moon will make it extremely difficult to see the meteor shower, viewers will definitely be able to catch the splendor the year’s final supermoon.

All full moons are given special names depending on the month and the time of the season. The Cold Moon earned its name because it occurs during the darkest, coldest month of the year, December, according to The Farmer’s Almanac. The full December moon is also referred to as the Full Frost moon.

The 2016 Cold Moon is the third supermoon to occur in a row since October. A supermoon is a name used to explain the phenomenon when the moon is at its closest to the Earth during its orbit, making it look larger-than-life. This can, in fact, make the moon appear to be “up to 14 percent bigger and 30 percent brighter in the sky,” according to Space.com.

While it should not be too difficult to observe the moon with the naked eye, locations with little light pollution and viewing through a telescope are helpful to see the moon’s increase in size. Another option is to catch it on Slooh and watch its live stream of the event online, which will include the Geminids meteor shower, Tuesday at 8 p.m. EST. In addition, the Virtual Telescope Project will be airing its webcast of the Supermoon Tuesday, beginning at 11 a.m. EST., according to Space.com.