The penultimate month of the year begins, brightest supermoon of the year almost here. The Full Beaver Moon rises on Wednesday, November 5th and will be visible until Thursday, November 6th. Although this is the second of three consecutive moons. supermoonsit will be brighter than the Cold Moon in December. Here's what you need to know.
When is the supermoon in November?
November full moon will reach peak illumination in US Wednesday, November 5, 2025 8:19 AM EST..
However, since the sun has already risen for many of us, be sure to watch Wednesday and Thursday evenings as the moon rises in the east at dusk. You can use this convenient moonrise and moonset calculator from the Farmer's Almanac to calculate the moonrise and moonset times where you live.
What is a supermoon?
November's full moon is only the second supermoon of 2025 and is expected to be the brightest. The Moon will come within 222,000 miles of Earth this week.
When the Moon orbits the Earth, it does not follow a perfect circle. Moving around our home planet, it will receive closer and further away, more elliptical in shape.
Supermoons occur when the full Moon approaches the Earth in its orbit. NASA says what the full moon might look like up to 14 percent larger and approximately 30 percent brighter than the dimmest moon of the year. Pink Moon of April It was the faintest full moon of 2025.
Why is it called the Beaver Moon?
Each full moon has names, which usually come from Native American traditions. The name “Beaver Moon” refers to the time of year when beavers begin to take refuge in their lodges. according to Farmers' Almanac. By November in North America these aces ecosystem engineers already have enough food supplies for the long winter and squat in their houses along rivers and streams. During the height of the North American fur trade, fall was also the season for trapping beavers, as their pelts were thick and ready for winter.
According to the Center for Native American StudiesThe November full moon is also sometimes called the “Baashkaakodin Giizis”, or “Freezing Moon”.
Does the supermoon affect the tides?
The tides on Earth are caused by the gravitational pull between our oceans and the Sun and Moon. When the Moon moves closer to Earth during a supermoon, the gravitational pull is slightly stronger and the tides are stronger. And yet this effect doesn't really matter muchsince the difference between the normal lunar tide and the superlunar tide is only a few inches, according to Royal Museums Greenwich in the United Kingdom.
Tides at full and new moons can actually be greater than at other times of the lunar month, even during a supermoon. When the Sun increases its own gravitational pull, spring or king tide is formed due to the fact that all the water is “knocked out” during the full moon and new moon.
the same general rules for observing the sky are key when looking at a supermoon. Try going to a dark place away from the bright lights of the city and let your eyes adjust to the darkness for about half an hour. You can also consult These helpful tips for photographing the moon like a pro.
