This weekend, stargazers are in for a treat with a double feature in the sky. The last supermoon of the year, known as the Beaver Moon, will be accompanied by the dazzling Leonids meteor shower.
The Beaver Moon will reach its peak on Friday at 4:29 pm ET and will appear full until several hours before sunrise, according to NASA. This supermoon is the last of the year, making the moon appear larger and brighter than usual, as noted by the Old Farmer’s Almanac.
During the rise of the Beaver Moon, observers may witness the “moon illusion,” where an optical illusion makes the supermoon appear even bigger than normal, as explained by NASA.
The Beaver Moon gets its name from the time when beavers start hibernating, and it was also the season when beavers were hunted for their fur in the North American fur trade, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac.
A supermoon occurs when the full moon aligns with the point in its elliptical orbit where it is closest to Earth, known as perigee. While “supermoon” is not an official astronomical term, it describes a full moon that is at least 90% of its perigee, as explained by NASA.
For those eager to see more in the sky, the Leonids meteor shower will peak on Saturday night into early Sunday, with the best viewing window over the weekend. The shower can be observed until December 2nd, as reported by the American Meteor Society.
Upcoming celestial events include the last full moon of 2024 on December 15th, the Geminid meteor shower peaking on December 12th-13th, and the Ursid meteor shower reaching its peak from December 21st to 22nd.
Source: www.nbcnews.com
