In November, Christmas lights come on everywhere. But there’s more to it than Christmas decorations. For example, for those who enjoy astronomical phenomena, there’s a big moment coming up: the last supermoon of the year.
Known as the Beaver Moon, it will light up the sky over Lisbon (and beyond) on the night of Friday, November 15th. However, as usual, the best way to observe the event depends on the weather conditions.
What is a Supermoon?
According to the Associated Press (AP), this will be the fourth and final Supermoon of the year, following the Hunter’s Supermoon (in October and considered the biggest of 2024).
According to the same source, the term Supermoon is used more in a popular context than a scientific one, occurring “when a complete lunar phase synchronizes with an oscillation especially close to the Earth”. As a rule, this phenomenon occurs three or four times a year.
On the specialized website “Star Walk” you can read the following:
A Supermoon is a full Moon that occurs near perigee [the closest point to Earth in the Moon’s orbit], appearing 7% larger and about 16% brighter than a normal full Moon.”
Why is the last supermoon named after a beaver?
The month of November coincides with the time when beavers prepare for winter by building their shelters. It is believed that this is why the Native Americans named this full moon after this animal. Another reason given relates to the hunting season.