Full Moon & New Moon — December 2026
December 2026 brings a new moon on December 8 and a full moon on December 23. Exact times are US Eastern, computed from the Swiss Ephemeris, with the zodiac degree each moon falls at.
✦Reviewed by the CosmyDay Astrology TeamLast reviewed August 2026
Moon phases in December 2026
- ○New Moon — December 8, 20267:52 PM ET · 16° Sagittarius
- ●Full Moon — December 23, 20268:28 PM ET · 2° Cancer
Times localized to US Eastern. Source: Swiss Ephemeris.
New Moon in Sagittarius — December 8, 2026
Exact at 7:52 PM ET · 16° Sagittarius
Aim past what is reasonable
Sagittarius new moons reward scale. The trip, the degree, the move abroad, the belief you want to live by rather than admire from a distance. Do not shrink it to fit current circumstances — Sagittarius intentions are direction-setting, and the practical version can be negotiated later without losing the heading.
More on this placement: Moon in Sagittarius · Sagittarius sign profile
Full Moon in Cancer — December 23, 2026
Exact at 8:28 PM ET · 2° Cancer
Home asks for an answer
Under a Cancer full moon the question of who takes care of whom stops being abstract. Family, the place you live, the people you default to at 2am — one of them surfaces needing a decision rather than sympathy. Feelings run ahead of facts for a day or two on either side. What you conclude at peak intensity is usually true; what you say at peak intensity usually is not.
More on this placement: Moon in Cancer · Cancer sign profile
What else the sky is doing in December 2026
- ◐Eclipses: none in December 2026 — see the next one
- ℞Retrograde: Saturn (July 26, 2026 → December 10, 2026) and Jupiter (December 12, 2026 → April 12, 2027) — retrograde calendar
- ☉Zodiac season: Capricorn season begins December 21, 2026 — all season dates
How these dates were calculated
A new moon is the instant the Moon and Sun share the same ecliptic longitude; a full moon is the instant they sit exactly opposite. Both are single moments rather than nights, and both are computed here directly from the Swiss Ephemeris — the engine professional astrology software runs on — then localized to US Eastern Time. Nothing on this page is copied from another calendar.
The degree matters more than the phase. A full moon at 2° Cancer activates whatever sits near that degree in your own chart, which is why one lunation flattens one person and passes another entirely. To find out which of your placements December 2026's moons touch, cast your free natal chart and compare the degrees, then read your monthly horoscope for the wider context.
That was the sky. This is your sky.
Everything above is true for everyone. These three are true only for you — and all free.
Get every moon phase in your calendar
Full and new moons through 2027, with exact times and degrees, so a lunation never arrives unannounced.
Free, no signup. Works in Google Calendar, Apple Calendar and Outlook — the dates update automatically when we extend the calendar to new years.
Frequently asked questions
When is the full moon in December 2026?
The December 2026 full moon is exact on December 23, 2026 at 8:28 PM ET, at 2° Cancer.
When is the new moon in December 2026?
The December 2026 new moon is exact on December 8, 2026 at 7:52 PM ET, at 16° Sagittarius.
What sign is the full moon in December 2026?
Cancer — exact at 2° Cancer on December 23, 2026. A full moon always falls in the sign opposite the Sun, because the two stand exactly across the zodiac from each other at that moment.
Is there an eclipse in December 2026?
No — December 2026 has neither a solar nor a lunar eclipse. Eclipses arrive in pairs about every six months, when a new or full moon falls close enough to the lunar nodes for the shadow to line up.
Which planets are retrograde in December 2026?
Saturn (July 26, 2026 to December 10, 2026) and Jupiter (December 12, 2026 to April 12, 2027) — retrograde for at least part of December 2026.
Which time zone are these moon times in?
US Eastern. A new or full moon is one instant worldwide, so the local clock date can shift by a day elsewhere — the moment itself does not move.