Full November ‘beaver moon’ will be final supermoon of 2024

Sky watchers will get a special treat this week as the final supermoon of 2024 lights up the November sky.
The November full moon — nicknamed the “beaver moon” — will reach its peak at 4:28 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 15, and will be slightly bigger and brighter than an average full moon.
That‘s why it’s considered a supermoon.
The moon will be 98% illuminated on Thursday night as it reaches its waxing gibbous phase, then 100% full Friday night and 99% full Saturday night in its waning gibbous phase.
The nickname “beaver moon” originated from Algonquin Native American tribes and American colonists, who gave nicknames to each full moon based on weather conditions, farming routines and hunting trends at that time of the year.
“This was the time to set beaver traps before the swamps froze, to ensure a supply of warm winter furs,” the Farmers’ Almanac says. “Another interpretation suggests that the name full beaver moon comes from the fact that the beavers are now actively preparing for winter.”
Similar to other full moons, the November full moon has garnered a few different nicknames over time.
Aside from the “beaver moon,” the November full moon also has been coined the “hunter moon,” the “mourning moon,” the “reed moon” and the “frost moon” — a reference to the cold weather setting in during this time of year.
If you don’t get an opportunity to see the November full moon, you can look for next month’s full “cold moon” on Sunday, Dec. 15.
There will be a long wait to see another supermoon. The Weather Channel says the next supermoon won’t appear until Oct. 7, 2025.
But it will be followed by two consecutive supermoons, in November and December 2025.
Known as one of the top meteor showers of the autumn season because of its bright fireballs, the Leonid meteor shower is expected to reach its peak during the late-night hours on Sunday, Nov. 17, into the early morning hours on Monday, Nov. 18.
Experts from EarthSky.org say meteors from this shower should also be visible during the pre-dawn hours Sunday morning.
Light from the November moon, however, may dampen the view of the Leonids. The moon will still be about 90% to 95% illuminated during the Leonid’s peak period, but about 10 to 15 meteors per hour may still be visible from dark locations.
Space.com says the Leonids — which are tied to a comet known as 55P/Temple-Tuttle — are among the fastest meteors of any major shower, “zipping through the sky at 44 miles per second.”
Rapid speeds like that “tend to produce bright and colorful meteors with hues of white, blue, aquamarine and even green, which leave long-lasting streaks or trains in their wake,” the space website says.
Thank you for relying on us to provide the local news you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription.
Len Melisurgo may be reached at [email protected] or on X at @LensReality.