Tonight's 'Beaver Moon' Will Be the Last of Four Consecutive Supermoons
Tonight's full moon, which will rise in the afternoon of Friday 15 November 2024 at 16:29 BST, will be the last of four consecutive supermoons, slightly closer and brighter than the first of four in mid-August: Beaver, Frost, Frosty or Snow Moon; Kartik Purnima; Loi Krathong; Bon Om Touk (‘Boat Race Festival’) Moon, the month of the Tazaungdaing Festival; and Ill Poya, according to NASA.
The Pleiades star cluster will appear near the full Moon. Around this time, the Moon will appear full for about 3 days, from a few hours before sunrise on Thursday morning to a few hours before sunrise on Sunday morning.
According to NASA, the November full moon is a supermoon, meaning it is closer to Earth in its orbit and appears larger and brighter than usual.
November's ‘Beaver Moon’ was named so because beavers prepare their dams for winter and because it was the best time to set beaver traps before the water began to freeze.
In general, the supermoon phenomenon occurs three to four times a year. In 2025, there will be three: on Tuesday, 7 October, Wednesday, 5 November, and Thursday, 4 December.