The full Moon of 15 November 2024 is this year's so-called 'Beaver Moon', and will also be a 'supermoon'.
It rises at 15:31 UTC and marks the fourth and final supermoon of 2024, ending a consecutive run that began with the Super Blue Moon of 19 August.
In this guide we'll explore the meaning behind the term 'Beaver Moon', discover what a supermoon is and how to make the most of the lunar spectacle.
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Beaver Moon explained
'Beaver Moon' is among the stranger nicknames given to full Moons.
You may have come across of lots of different names attributed to full Moons, from the commonly-heard Harvest Moon to other names like Worm Moon and Strawberry Moon.
These are just nicknames, and don't actually have any bearing on how a particular month's full Moon will appear.
So why is the November full Moon called a Beaver Moon?
The full Moon names reflect what's happening in nature during the month in which that full Moon appears.
In November, beavers are very active gathering food for winter, building dams and preparing for the colder months ahead.
The other reason it's called a Beaver Moon – and one that more reflects human activity, historically speaking – is because beavers would have been hunted for their fur around this time of year.
Alternative names for the Beaver Moon include the Freezing Moon or Frost Moon, again reflecting the arrival of colder months.
But don't be fooled by the name. November's full Moon won't look anything like a beaver!
2024 Super Beaver Moon
There have been four so-called supermoons in 2024, and the 15 November full Moon is the final one of the year.
So what is a supermoon, and are they really anything to get excited about?
A supermoon is more accurately described as a 'perigee syzygy' Moon.
'Perigee' means that the Moon is at the closest point in its orbit to Earth.
And 'syzygy' refers to three celestial bodies in alignment: in this case the Sun, Earth and the Moon.
So a 'supermoon', simply, is a full Moon that's a bit bigger and brighter than normal.
The Super Beaver Moon of 15 November 2024 will be bigger than a 'regular' full Moon, but in reality the difference will be imperceptible to the naked eye.
Having said that, a full Moon - supermoon or not – is a beautiful spectacle to observe in the night sky.
If you're planning on observing the 15 November Super Beaver Moon, here are some ideas on how to make the most of it.
Observing the Super Beaver Moon
- Ever experienced the Moon illusion? A full Moon close to the horizon looks abnormally large
- The rising Moon may also look orange or rusty red
- You can also observe the Moon with binoculars or telescope
- Photograph a full Moon
- Photograph the Moon with a smartphone
- Get out your paper and pencils and sketch the Moon
- Full Moon is a good time to observe lunar ray ejecta systems
- See if you can spot a halo or arc around the Moon
- See if you can spot a Moonbow
If you observe or photograph the 15 November Super Beaver Moon, share your images and observations with us by emailing contactus@skyatnightmagazine.com
