Moon

November's Beaver Moon reaches its full phase on November 24.

November's Beaver Moon reaches its full phase on November 24, 2026, and qualifies as a supermoon, BBC Sky at Night Magazine reports. The moon will appear slightly larger and brighter than usual, with the full phase arriving ahead of Thanksgiving.

The exact full phase occurs at 9:53 a.m. EST, or 14:53 UTC, according to the U.S. Naval Observatory, as cited by Farmers' Almanac. The instant is the same worldwide, though local moonrise determines when the moon is above the horizon.

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The moon approaches its closest point#

A supermoon occurs when a full or new moon falls close to perigee, the point in its orbit nearest Earth, according to Wikipedia. The term has astrological origins and no precise astronomical definition. El Cronista reports that November's full phase and perigee are separated by just over a day.

The moon reaches perigee on November 25 at 9:01 p.m., Mexico City time, according to Mexico's National Institute of Astrophysics, Optics and Electronics, as cited by El Cronista. The institute puts its distance from Earth at about 359,312 kilometers at that point.

For North America, Farmers' Almanac lists the evenings of November 23 and 24 as times when the moon appears full or nearly full. BBC Sky at Night Magazine reports that the November full moon rises just before sunset and remains visible through the night.

The Beaver Moon name marks winter preparations#

The Beaver Moon is one of the informal names used for monthly full moons, BBC Sky at Night Magazine reports. The name is associated with beavers' activity in November, when they prepare for winter by building dams and storing food.

The Old Farmer's Almanac also links the name to the time when beavers shelter in their lodges and stockpile food, according to El Cronista. Another historical explanation connects it to hunting season, when beaver fur was used for warm clothing.

Mashable India lists Frost Moon and Mourning Moon as other names for the November full moon. It also reports that the next full moon, the Cold Moon, occurs on December 24 at 6:58 a.m. IST.

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