This full moon will be at perigee, its closest point to the earth. So, we have the lowest sun, the longest night, and the closest moon which will also be a full moon. The last time the full moon, lunar perigee and winter solstice fell on the same day was in 1866. Night has a shape, says Raymo. The earth's shadow is cone shaped, and is a tall pyramid of darkness receding from the globe.
Earth wears night like a wizard's cap.
Night is a cone because the earth is round and smaller than the sun. All of the planets wear caps of night. Every object near a star casts a pyramidal shadow. Every particle of dust in the space of the solar system casts its own tiny pyramid of darkness. It is through the crack of the night that we glimpse the Infinite.