November 14th, puts the moon closest it’s been since 1948
Full moons are mostly the same every month. However, this month we will have a Beaver Supermoon.
On November 14th, the moon will be 30,000 miles (48,000 km) nearer to us than when it’s furthest from us.
This isn’t just any Supermoon. This Supermoon will be the closest the moon has been to us since January 1948.
How does it happen?
The moon’s orbit around Earth is not a perfect circle. It’s elliptical. Because of this, there are times when the moon is closer or farther away from our planet.
A Supermoon occurs when the moon is located less than 223,694 miles away from the center of the Earth. This is also called a perigee. In these times, the moon appears to be 14% bigger and about 30% brighter than the usual full moon.
Wait. Beaver?
Month of the Beaver was first coined by American natives when they were trying to create their own calendars.
To keep track with time and the seasons, the natives developed a calendar system by using full moons. For each full moon, they had names assigned to them depending on the season or their activities.
November is the month when American Natives and colonists were most active setting beaver traps. Hence November became month of the Beaver.
When’s the next one?
This year’s Supermoon is a rare opportunity. The next Supermoon won’t be until January 2034, and it won’t be as big as this November’s Supermoon.
Where and when to see it?
To get the most of the viewing experience, get as far away from city lights as possible. The night of the full moon is November 14th, but Novemer 13th and November 15th should be good nights to see it as well.
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