The fourth and final “Supermoon” of 2024 will be fully illuminated at 100% on Friday, November 15. However, the best time to view it from North America will be when it rises in the east on November 16.
The November full moon is commonly referred to as the Beaver Moon, as beavers typically build their winter dams around this time of year in the northeastern United States, according to timeanddate.com. It is also known as the Frost Moon and the Snow Moon in North America, as the continent is about to enter winter with colder temperatures.
Beaver Moon rising in the sky over Italy in November 2022 (Photo: Getty Images).
This year’s Beaver Moon is the final moon of the four supermoons in 2024, following the Sturgeon Moon in August, the Harvest Moon in September, and the Hunter’s Moon in October.
A Supermoon occurs due to the moon’s elliptical orbit, meaning it reaches its closest point to Earth, known as perigee, at different times each month. A full moon is classified as a supermoon when it is within 90% of perigee.
Although the full moon officially occurs on November 15, it is best observed when it rises in the east at dusk, just after sunset in the west.
This will not happen on November 15 in North America, where the significant full moon will rise before sunset. Therefore, the optimal time to view the supermoon will be when it rises on Saturday, November 16, approximately 20 to 30 minutes after sunset across the continent.
On the night of November 15, the Pleiades star cluster, also known as the “Seven Sisters”, will be located to the lower left of the Beaver Moon. On November 16, the Pleiades will be positioned to the upper right of the moon.
You can view the full moon with the naked eye, but using binoculars or a telescope can help reveal details on the moon’s surface that are not visible to the unaided eye. As the full moon rises, its brightness increases significantly, making it difficult to observe directly.
