Rare Full Moon On Christmas Day: Fact Check

Story:

Rare Full Moon On Christmas Day!

First Christmas Full Moon Since 1977
Not back again for 19 years

Share the message so all will see!

Fact Check:

A picture message in circulation online since few years purports that people can witness a Rare Full Moon On Christmas Day. It says the coming full moon will be the first Christmas full moon since 1977 and it won’t happen again for 19 years. As explained below, the claims are mixture of hoax and facts.

About Rare Full Moon On Christmas Day

Originally, the picture message in question appeared few days before the Christmas Eve in 2015, and it was in fact true. Back then, The Oregonian website oregonlive.com reported that first time since 1977 a full moon will grace the Christmas sky. It also mentioned the full moon on Christmas day did not happen in nearly four decades. A bright full moon on Christmas Eve was described as classic beauty of nature. NASA website nasa.gov also reported the rare occurrence, adding such a Christmas full moon will not happen again until 2034. FOX 32 News shared the picture message on their Twitter account.

SPREAD THE WORD! First Full Moon on Christmas in Nearly 40 Years https://t.co/adalE5LAW8 pic.twitter.com/Rurw1VS7dZ

— FOX 32 News (@fox32news) December 24, 2015

The same old meme (picture message) appeared again online in December 2018. It suggested the rare full moon on Christmas Day will happen in 2018 – which is not true. The full moon in December 2018 occurred on 22nd. Because it occurs during the beginning of winter, December’s full moon, the last of the year, is called the Full Cold Moon. Referring to the rare full Moon on Christmas Day back in 2015, NASA researcher John Keller said, “As we look at the moon on such an occasion, it’s worth remembering that the moon is more than just a celestial neighbor.”