[updated 12/11/08]
On Dec. 12th, the Moon becomes full a scant 4 hours after reaching perigee, making it 14% bigger and 30% brighter than lesser full Moons we’ve seen earlier in 2008. …
This is both the brightest and (in the northern hemisphere) the highest-riding full Moon of the year. If you go outside around midnight it will be close to overhead and act like a cosmic floodlamp making the landscape absolutely brilliant, especially if there’s snow. Full moons are always high during winter and, indeed, the solstice is right around the corner on Dec. 21st.
Thursday, 12/11, the moon will be nearly as big, rising before sunset.
12/11: Sunset: 4:54pm
Moonrise: 3:51pm
12/12: Sunset: 4:54pm
Moonrise: 4:56pm
Times are from www.sunrisesunset.com. The closer you are to the west side of the Sandias, the later the moon rises.