If you’ve felt a special kind of magic in the air this autumn, you’re not wrong. The cosmos is treating us to a spectacular finale for 2025, with the last three full moons of the year all being supermoons. We’ve just seen the glorious Harvest Moon, and now we’re gearing up for the enchanting Beaver Moon.
But what exactly is a supermoon, and why does November’s full moon have such a peculiar, furry nickname? Let’s dive in.
The Essentials
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The year ends with a trio of magical supermoons, making our lunar neighbour feel closer and brighter.
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Discover the ancient folklore behind November’s Beaver Moon and its beautiful connection to the seasons.
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We’ll tell you the best time to step outside and witness this wonderful celestial event for yourself.
What Makes a Moon ‘Super’?
Before you picture our lunar neighbour wearing a cape, let’s get into the science. The Moon’s orbit around Earth isn’t a perfect circle; it’s slightly egg-shaped, or elliptical. This means that at certain points in its orbit, it’s closer to us, and at others, it’s farther away.
A supermoon happens when a full moon coincides with its closest approach to Earth, a point astronomers call “perigee”. The result? The moon can appear slightly bigger and brighter in the sky than usual. While some seasoned astronomers will tell you the difference is hard to spot with the naked eye, it’s a fantastic reminder to pause, step outside, and reconnect with the night sky.
The Folklore of the Beaver Moon
Delve Deeper
Now for the fun part: the name. The term “Beaver Moon” comes to us from a mix of Native American and colonial traditions, as popularised by sources like The Old Farmer’s Almanac. The name is wonderfully practical and evocative of the season.
November is the time of year when beavers are bustling about, making their final preparations for winter. They work diligently to build their lodges and stock up on food before the swamps and streams freeze over. For early colonists and fur trappers, this was also the prime season to set traps for beavers, whose pelts were thick and warm for the coming cold.
Of course, the Beaver Moon isn’t the only name for November’s full moon. Other traditional names include:
- The Frost Moon
- The Freezing Moon
- The Digging Moon (referencing animals digging for final scraps of food)
Each name tells a story about the changing world, a beautiful link to how our ancestors used the full moon as a celestial calendar to mark the passing of the seasons.
How to See the Next Supermoons
Get your calendars ready, because you have two more chances to see a supermoon this year.
The Beaver Supermoon will rise on Wednesday, 5 November. For the best views, look to the east just after sunset as it begins its journey across the sky. As an added treat, it will be near the beautiful Pleiades and Hyades star clusters, making for a stunning celestial scene.
The Cold Supermoon follows on Thursday, 4 December. As its name suggests, you’ll want to bundle up for this one! It’s the final supermoon of the year and a perfect excuse for a flask of hot chocolate under the stars.
Is It All Just Hype?
Some people in the astronomical community argue that the term “supermoon” is more hype than happening. They prefer the technically accurate, if less catchy, “perigee-syzygy of the Earth-Moon-Sun system”. And they’re right that the moon won’t suddenly look enormous.
But we think that misses the point. Whether it looks a little bigger or not, these events are a fantastic opportunity to step away from our screens and look up. They connect us to the same spectacle that has captivated humans for millennia, inspiring myths, stories, and a sense of wonder. We’ve written before about both the powerful effects and the sheer beauty of a supermoon, and we still think they’re worth celebrating.
If you want to get a closer look at the moon and its neighbours, like the Pleiades, a simple pair of binoculars or a small telescope from a retailer like Amazon can completely transform your experience.
In Pure Spirit
Whether you call it a Beaver Moon or a perigee-syzygy, the upcoming full moon is a beautiful invitation from the universe to stop and marvel. What do you think? Let us know in the comments below!
Creative Commons: Full Beaver Moon over Isla Vista by Glenn Beltz.
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