Last Supermoon Of 2024 Emerges This Week—Here’s What To Know About The ‘Beaver’ Moon
by Ty Roush · ForbesTopline
The moon will reach one of its closest points to Earth later this week, resulting in this year’s last supermoon, an unofficial astronomical event occurring up to four times annually, according to expert projections.
Key Facts
A supermoon occurs whenever a full moon coincides with the moon approaching its closest distance to the Earth—a point, known as perigee, that’s about 226,000 miles away—during its 27-day orbit, though NASA does not recognize it as an official astronomical term.
Fred Espenak, a former NASA astrophysicist, expects the next full moon to reach perigee Friday night, though it’ll likely become a supermoon starting Thursday night as it comes within nearly 225,000 miles of the Earth.
There have been three other supermoons this year on Aug. 19, Sept. 18 and Oct. 17, which was the largest supermoon this year after a full moon came within 222,000 miles of the Earth.
When Can I See The Supermoon?
The moon will rise Thursday starting at 3:23 p.m. EST, though it won’t be full until Friday, when the moon rises around 3:56 p.m. and peaks around 9:29 p.m., according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
How Can I See The Supermoon?
A supermoon will be visible anywhere on Earth regardless of light pollution, NASA said, though it’s easier to see in areas without cloud coverage. Several states in the eastern U.S. will likely be unable to see the moon on Thursday night, including South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York and Connecticut, according to NOAA. On Friday night, some states in the western, upper central and northeastern U.S. will be overcast, including Idaho, Nevada, Montana, North Dakota, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and Massachusetts.
Surprising Fact
A full moon in November is known as the “beaver moon” because it marks the period when beavers take shelter for the winter, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac. It also represented the time when hunters laid traps for beavers to acquire their winter pelts. The “beaver moon” follows October’s “hunter’s moon,” which signals the beginning of the hunting season, and the “harvest moon,” marking when harvesters can begin reaping their crops.