by Stargazers are in for quite a double feature this weekend: The Beaver Moon, the last supermoon of the year, will share the celestial stage with the dazzling Leonid meteor shower.
The Beaver Moon will reach the peak of its full phase on Friday at 4:29 p.m. ET. According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, this is the last supermoon of this year’s four supermoons where the moon will appear larger and brighter than normal.
And as the Beaver Moon rises, viewers could catch a glimpse of a “lunar illusion,” a period in which the supermoon could appear even larger than normal due to an optical illusion.
Scientists aren’t actually sure why this happens, but they think our brains don’t know that the moon’s distance doesn’t change that much no matter where it is in the sky on a given night, said public affairs specialist Preston Dyches Involvement with NASA.
The Beaver Moon was named after the time of year when beavers begin their hibernation. During the fur trade in North America, this was also the time of year when beavers were captured for their thick, winter-proof pelts, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac.
A supermoon occurs when a full moon coincides with the moon’s closest approach to Earth in its elliptical orbit, a point called perigee. According to NASA, “supermoon” is not an official astronomical term, but is typically used to describe a full moon that is at least 90 percent from perigee.
Those who want to catch a glimpse could see a bonus scene in the sky when the Leonid meteor shower peaks Saturday evening into early Sunday, according to the American Meteor Society. While the best viewing time is the weekend, the Leonids will be visible until the end of the meteor shower on December 2nd.
Upcoming celestial events include the last full moon of 2024 on December 15, the Geminid meteor shower will reach its peak December 12-13 and the Ursid meteor shower, which will peak on December 21-22.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
