Capturing the Winter’s Giant Full Moon with the Smart Telescope “Seestar” — When the Cold Moon Meets the Supermoon
I’m Ken Kuwako, your science trainer. Every day is an experiment.
The season has arrived when our breath turns white and the stars shine with an even sharper intensity. If you happen to glance up at the night sky, don’t you notice the moon glowing with an overwhelming presence? Actually, the Full Moon gracing the night sky on December 5, 2025, is no ordinary spectacle. It is the last Full Moon of the year and a special celestial show announcing the arrival of winter.
The “Cold Moon” Announcing Winter’s Arrival
The December Full Moon has a beautifully evocative name: the “Cold Moon.” This name is said to originate from the culture of the Mohawk people, a Native American tribe in North America. They used to name each monthly Full Moon based on the characteristics of the season, effectively using them as a calendar.
The Cold Moon, photographed with a smart telescope at 10:16 PM on December 27, 2023.
December marks the true beginning of winter in the Northern Hemisphere. The temperature drops sharply, and the cold grips everything, which is why this name was chosen. Viewed through the clear, crisp winter air, the moon shines with a truly majestic, cold, and beautiful brilliance, living up to its name.
The Mechanism Behind the Year’s Last Supermoon
And here is another major feature of this particular Full Moon: it is the last Supermoon of 2025.
Many of you may have noticed with the naked eye: “It seems brighter than usual!” or “I feel like it’s bigger.” This feeling is entirely correct, as a Supermoon is a phenomenon that occurs when the distance between the Earth and the Moon is at its closest.
As you may have learned in science class, the Moon’s orbit is not a perfect circle, but a slightly flattened ellipse. Therefore, the distance between the Earth and the Moon is constantly changing. When a Full Moon coincides with the Moon being particularly close to Earth, as is the case now, it is said to appear about 14% larger and up to 30% brighter compared to the moon at its farthest point.
The Power of the Seestar Smart Telescope
With such a beautiful moon on display, it’s only natural to want to capture it in a photo. But have you ever been disappointed when pointing your smartphone camera at it? The picture often comes out overexposed and white, or the moon appears tiny…
I took this with my smartphone without using any app, but it’s not great.
This is where the trendy smart telescope, the SeeStar, comes in! I actually used the Seestar to photograph this special Full Moon, and this is how it turned out:
After adjusting the image quality, it became even clearer and sharper.
What do you think? The shadows of the craters are clearly captured, and you can certainly feel a greater sense of power than with a typical view of the moon. You can even clearly see the pattern that looks like the rabbit pounding mochi! This “texture” and “brilliance” are difficult to replicate with a smartphone. As expected, a smart telescope designed specifically for astronomical observation can easily and vividly record the celestial body.
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