Skywatchers will see the biggest and brightest full moon of the year next week. Turning full at 8:19 a.m. ET on Wednesday, Nov. 5, the Beaver Moon is the second of three consecutive supermoons to see out 2025.
The biggest supermoon of the year will be about 221,818 miles (356,980 kilometers) from Earth, the closest of any full moon this year, according to AstroPixels. That makes it the closest full moon since February 2019.
This year’s Beaver Moon is the second of three supermoons in 2025, following October’s Harvest Moon, and with December’s Cold Moon also destined to look larger than usual. A supermoon occurs because the moon’s orbit is elliptical, so it sometimes reaches its closest point to Earth — its perigee — during a full moon. The full moon appears about 14% bigger and 30% brighter during perigee than it does at its farthest point from Earth (its apogee), according to NASA. January’s Wolf Moon will also be a supermoon.
Although the moon will be officially full on Wednesday, the best views will be had on Thursday, Nov. 6. A full moon typically looks its best as it appears on the eastern horizon during early twilight, soon after sunset. For a supermoon, this is especially the case, because it is the time when it looks very large on the horizon. To see any full moon — and particularly a supermoon — at its best, it is important to know the exact time of moonrise where you are.
As viewed on Nov. 6, the moon will appear in the constellation Taurus very close to the Pleiades, an open cluster of stars. The moon will also appear bright and full on Tuesday (Nov. 4).
Source link
