You “Woodn’t” Want to Miss the Beaver Moon, Last Supermoon of 2024

By Serena Whitfield

Skywatchers can see the next full Moon, the Beaver Moon, on Nov. 15, starting at 4:29 p.m. EST. This Moon is extra special as it's the final Supermoon of 2024, meaning the Moon will appear bigger and brighter than usual.

A supermoon rises over Huntsville, Alabama, home to NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, Aug. 19, 2024. Supermoons are the biggest and brightest full Moons of the year because the Moon is within 90% of its closest point to Earth. (NASA/Michael DeMocker)

The term "supermoon" was coined in 1979 and occurs when a full Moon coincides with its closest approach to Earth. The Moon doesn't orbit in a perfect circle. Instead, the Moon orbits Earth in an ellipse, an oval that brings it closer to and farther from Earth as it travels around.

The farthest point in this ellipse, called the apogee, is about 253,000 miles from Earth on average. Its closest point is the perigee, which is an average distance of about 226,000 miles from Earth. Full moons can occur at any point along the Moon's elliptical path, but when a full moon occurs at or near the perigee, it looks slightly larger and brighter than the "average" full moon - which inspires the term "supermoon."

This graphic shows the difference in the appearance of the Moon's size in its furthest and closest distances to Earth. (NASA/JPL-Caltech)

Supermoons are not rare and occur as a regular part of the Moon's orbit of Earth according to NASA research scientist Dennis Gallagher.

"The Moon's orbit takes it around the Earth about once every 27 and one-third days," said Gallagher. "That time of closest approach to Earth, or perigee, happens three or four times each year due to the motions of Earth and the Moon around the Sun."

Why Is It Called the Beaver Moon?

Beaver Moon is one of the nicknames for the November full Moon. The term has origins from a variety of traditions and folklore in Native American and European culture. One explanation - November is when beavers prepare for the winter by fortifying dams and stocking their food supply. November was also the season to trap beavers for their thick, winter-ready pelts to use for warmer clothing.

Beavers and Space, A Connection you "Woodn't" Expect

Did you know Beavers have another space-related connection? Not only is November's full Moon named in the industrious animal's honor, but NASA also helps measures the impacts of beaver rewilding.

This graphic shows the difference in the appearance of the Moon's size in its furthest and closest distances to Earth. (NASA/JPL-Caltech)

NASA Applied Sciences' Ecological Conservation Program helps fund a project, as a part of its Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences grants, known as the Beaver Rewilding Project in Idaho.

The project uses NASA's fleet of Earth-observing missions, like Landsat and Sentinel, to collect data across large areas of the world and pass over the same areas regularly across seasons. From above the clouds, NASA can track the landscape's transformation after beavers arrive, helping researchers at Boise State University and Utah State University understand the pace and nuance of beaver impacts without having to send researchers into remote areas.

This natural-color Landsat 9 satellite image shows an area in south central Idaho that includes Baugh Creek, Little Wood River, and Baugh Creek Road. The dense green patch indicates more vegetation due to the reintroduction of beavers, while the narrow green patch has limited beaver activity. (NASA Earth Observatory; NASA/USGS Landsat)

The data showed that when beavers build dams across streams, they naturally disperse and hold water on the land longer, which supports more plants and creates habitats like ponds and meadows. The dams also create more fresh drinking water and better grazing land for cattle, and they make the landscape more resilient to fire and drought.

Read more about NASA's role in beaver rewilding.

Enjoy 2024's last supermoon knowing beavers and space have more in common than you may think!

For media inquiries contact:
Lane Figueroa
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.
256.544.0034
[email protected]

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