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The November full moon, also known as the Beaver Moon, shone brightly in the sky on Friday as the last supermoon of the year.
For skywatchers watching the golden celestial body this weekend, the Leonid meteor shower could be a dazzling bonus as it peaks on Saturday night, according to the American Meteor Society.
According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, the Beaver Moon — named as a nod to this animal’s hibernation and thicker fur at this time of year — reached the peak of its full phase at 4:29 p.m. ET on Friday. But the moon appears full to the naked eye about a day before and after its peak, said Noah Petro, head of NASA’s Planetary Geology, Geophysics and Geochemistry Laboratory.
“There is a moment in time when the moon is at its fullest, but if it is cloudy or you are busy and go out at a different time the day before, later in the evening, or the next day, you will still see the beauty “The full moon,” said Petro.
A supermoon occurs when the moon’s full phase coincides with its perigee, its closest approach to Earth in its orbit, according to NASA, making the moon appear slightly larger and brighter than average.
The November full moon is the fourth consecutive supermoon this year and is slightly further away than the October full moon, which was the closest moon of 2024 and was captured in photos around the world.
But the Beaver Moon could still be a special sight. Petro recommends viewing the moon as it rises for a chance to see a “moon illusion” as it rises above the horizon, where the supermoon could look even larger than usual.
Scientists don’t really know why this optical illusion occurs, but it’s thought to be due to a combination of how our brains process visual information and the size of the moon compared to smaller objects near the horizon, like trees or house roofs. is attributable.
In addition to observations from Earth, current space missions such as NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, which has been collecting data about the moon since 2009, are helping to improve our understanding of the moon, Petro said.
“We’re still mapping the moon. We are still uncovering its secrets,” he said. “So when people go out and look at the moon, they should know that not only are they looking at a wonderful object in the night sky, but somewhere around it is this little spacecraft that is enacting our view of the moon and its history. “ .”
Local weather conditions permitting, those in the northern and southern hemispheres observing the moon this weekend could also spot a Leonid meteor shining brightly in the night sky.
This is how you see the Leonids
The Leonid meteor shower tends to produce 15 meteors per hour during its peak, but due to the moon’s full luminosity making fainter meteors difficult to see, viewing conditions this weekend could only provide about five meteors per hour, said Robert Lunsford, the fireball reporting coordinator for the American Meteor Society.
For patient skywatchers hoping to spot a meteor, Lunsford recommends facing east and keeping the moon out of your field of view.
“Look toward the middle of the sky as most meteors will appear in the lower half of the sky,” Lunsford said in an email. “View as late as possible, as more Leonids will be seen before dawn than around midnight.”
For amateur astronomers who want to get into data collection from space objects, Lunsford pointed to online fireball reporting forms that can help scientists study meteor shower activity, such as the one from the International Meteor Organization.
“From these reports, astronomers will get a better idea of when Earth encounters these meteors and how intense this activity is,” he added. “This will allow them to make more accurate forecasts for future Leonid showers.”
Coming heavenly events
The last full moon of 2024 will be the Cold Moon on December 15, according to Farmers’ Almanac.
According to the American Meteor Society, the Leonids will remain flaming in the night sky until the shower ends on December 2nd. If you want to see more, two upcoming meteor showers will peak next month:
Geminids: 12th-13th December
Ursids: 21st-22nd December
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