The Full Moon of December 22 will be the first in 133 years to coincide with the Northern Hemisphere's Winter Solstice—which marks the beginning of Winter and is also when the Earth is about its closest to the Sun—and Lunar Perigee—when the Moon is closest to the Earth. These three factors—Full Moon, Winter Solstice and Lunar Perigee—will result in a Moon that will appear unusually bright under clear skies!
(Shown for mid-Northern latitudes around local midnight.)
