Last Full Moon of 2012 rises today and for a very long time

December 28th is not only the date of the last full moon of 2012, but its also the day with the largest window of time to appreciate the year's last lunar show.

According to Space.com the December full moon is also called the 'long-night's moon' given it's proximity to the northern winter solstice (the time of year when nights are the longest), and thus, tonight's lunar show will manifest for the longest amount of time in the year. In places like New York City, where moonrise occurs as early as 4 p.m., tonight's full moon will be visible for as long as 14 hours.

For those who somehow manage to miss tonight's lunar show, the next full moon (the first one of 2013) will arise on January 26.