The November full moon is traditionally known as the Beaver moon. This year it will occur on the night of November 15-16, making it the last supermoon of 2024. Find more about when and how to watch this event in our article.
The Beaver Full Moon
The full moon is a monthly astronomical event, though it can also occur more than once. And being the brightest of all sky events, it hardly goes unnoticed. So it’s all the more important to be on top of the dates when the Moon turns its illuminated side towards us.
The November full moon is traditionally known as the Beaver moon. This tradition, much like other events involving the Moon’s illuminated side facing us, hails from the United States. It’s difficult to pinpoint the exact origins of the phrase. The first known source for the Beaver moon and other titles, the Old Farmer’s Almanac, claims them to be folk names, yet fails to attribute this to any specific ethnic group.
First published in the 1930s, the issue in question provides different origins for the names of full moons. No research has been conducted to trace the name of the Beaver moon to a particular culture.
At the very least, the explanation behind the name is somewhat plausible. It is said that the name indicates the season when beavers begin building their dams in preparation for winter. As for the versions of the name for this astronomical event in different cultures, they are largely connected to the concepts of cold weather and snow.
November Supermoon
The Beaver full moon in November 2024 is notable for being the fourth and last supermoon of the year. This is hardly surprising. The Moon’s larger size is explained by our satellite reaching its closest orbital point to Earth, known as the perigee. Relative to the full moon, this point shifts by only a few days per month.
In general, there are no clear rules for this classification. Which full moon is also a supermoon and which isn’t? This is because the term did not originate in astronomy. Rather, it was invented and popularized by the followers of astrology, a purely pseudoscientific tradition.
So what should we expect on the night of the Beaver supermoon? Nothing particularly special. The Moon will simply appear slightly larger than average. Not to mention that full moons are not the best time for astronomical observations. The light reflected off our satellite effectively masks other celestial objects in the sky.
When Is The Full Moon
As for the exact time for the full moon — the moment of its maximum illumination — this month it will be more observation-friendly across Europe than before. It will occur at 21:29 UT. In Kyiv, the time will be 23:29, while the Sun will set at 16:12.
Our planet’s satellite will be in the Aries constellation, slowly shifting towards Taurus in the course of the night. In its full phase, the Moon will appear high in the southeast, close to the Pleiades star cluster. If you stay up until morning, you might be able to glimpse the star cluster and the Moon move very close together.
In London, where the time zone matches UT, the Sun will set at 16:12. The Moon will rise about half an hour prior. The event will unfold similarly to the full moon in Ukraine, except the maximum phase will occur two hours earlier.
However, on the United States East Coast, the conditions will be rather middling on this occasion. The maximum phase will occur at 16:29, the Moon will appear at 16:13, and the Sun will set at 16:37. This means that when the Moon reaches its full illumination, it will still be rather low over the eastern horizon, while the Sun will still be setting in the West.
