Above Edison High, the December skies offer everything from peaceful winter beauty to revolutionary space achievements. As the year comes to an end, students can look up to see everything from shimmering meteors to recordbreaking rockets.
This month’s biggest celestial spotlight is the Cold Moon, December’s full moon. On December 4, the moon shone brighter and higher than most full moons of the year. Because winter air is crisp and low in humidity, the Cold Moon casts long shadows across the ground, illuminating more than usual. Students heading home from club meetings or late night practices saw the entirety of its luminescence, a sort of “natural streetlamp.”
However, the moon wasn’t the only show this month. December is also home to the Geminid meteor shower, one of the strongest of the year. Peaking on the nights of December 13 and 14, the Geminids produce more than 100 meteors per hour under dark skies. This year’s timing was ideal, as the moon was dim enough to allow fainter streaks to stand out. Bright, colorful meteors in green and yellow flashed across the sky, rivaling any holiday light show.
While the night dazzles on its own, December is also a month filled with satellites in the sky. SpaceX is closing out the year with a streak of rapid-fire launches, sending satellites into orbit every few days. Their Falcon 9 rockets have already helped make 2025 one of the busiest launch years in history. For students interested in astronomy, knowing these missions are happening in real time makes space feel closer and more inspiring than ever.
As winter break approaches and students juggle the final exams and projects of the year, December’s sky offers quiet reassurance. The Cold Moon will rise no matter how many deadlines crowd our calendars. The Geminids will blaze across the sky whether or not anyone looks up. And the rockets will keep climbing toward orbit, capturing humanity at its boldest.
In a month filled with stress, pressure, and holiday chaos, the universe remains steady. All it asks is a moment to step outside and look up.
