Skygazers across the U.S. on Friday will have one last chance to catch a glimpse of a supermoon before the year ends.
November’s full moon, called the Beaver Moon, will appear larger and brighter than a regular full moon. The moon, which NASA says will rise at 4:29 p.m. ET Friday, is the fourth supermoon in a row since August 2024. The supermoon’s rise and set time will shift some based on the viewer’s location, according to Christopher Palma, teaching professor and advisor of the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics at Penn State University.
“For Central PA, where I am, the moon rises at 4:29 p.m. on Nov. 15, and it sets the next morning at 8:04 a.m., so it’s visible for about 15 ½ hours. For the DC area, the times only change by a few minutes,” Palma says.
The moon is considered “super” when it is full and its orbit is at the closest point to Earth, according to NASA — though the term “supermoon” is not official. It’s occurrence can cause tides to be higher than normal, the agency says. The celestial phenomenon happens three to four times a year — in a cluster, or back-to-back full moons.
November’s supermoon will appear full for nearly three days starting Thursday morning through sunrise Sunday morning, NASA says. No special equipment is needed to see it but the best views will depend on the weather.
