The closest supermoon of 2025 arrives on Wednesday, November 5 — the Hunter’s Moon and Beaver Moon — passing about 221,817 miles (356,980 km) from Earth. A Supermoon Visibility Index from The Action Network ranks Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado among the best states to see it. For best views, check local moonrise/moonset times, watch the eastern horizon at evening rise (or the west at morning set), and travel 20–30 minutes outside town for darker skies. NASA says a supermoon appears roughly 8% larger than an average full moon, though the difference is subtle; the full appearance spans Nov. 4–6 and peaks at 8:19 a.m. ET on Wednesday.
Don’t Miss It: 2025’s Closest Supermoon on Nov. 5 — Top 10 U.S. States to See It
The closest supermoon of 2025 arrives on Wednesday, November 5 — the Hunter’s Moon and Beaver Moon — passing about 221,817 miles (356,980 km) from Earth. A Supermoon Visibility Index from The Action Network ranks Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado among the best states to see it. For best views, check local moonrise/moonset times, watch the eastern horizon at evening rise (or the west at morning set), and travel 20–30 minutes outside town for darker skies. NASA says a supermoon appears roughly 8% larger than an average full moon, though the difference is subtle; the full appearance spans Nov. 4–6 and peaks at 8:19 a.m. ET on Wednesday.
03:22, 05.11.2025Science
Don’t Miss It: 2025’s Closest Supermoon on Nov. 5
What’s happening: A full moon will occur on Wednesday, November 5 — known as the Hunter’s Moon and the Beaver Moon — and it will be the second of three consecutive supermoons in 2025. This one is the closest of the trio, passing about 221,817 miles (356,980 km) from Earth.
Why this one stands out
The moon follows an elliptical orbit, so its distance from Earth varies. By comparison, April’s full moon was about 252,280 miles (406,006 km) away, roughly 30,000 miles farther. That difference is what makes some full moons “super” relative to others.
Where you’re most likely to get a great view
A new analysis from The Action Network produced a Supermoon Visibility Index that ranks all 50 states by historical November viewing conditions (sky clarity, humidity, elevation and access to dark skies). The top 10 states with the highest probability of prime viewing on November 5 are:
- Arizona
- New Mexico
- Colorado
- California
- Nevada
- Utah
- Texas
- Oklahoma
- Kansas
- Wyoming
No Southeastern states make the top 10, but that region dominates ranks 11–20: Georgia (11), South Carolina (12), North Carolina (13), Arkansas (14), Nebraska (15), and Virginia, Alabama, and Tennessee (16–18). Louisiana ranks 19th due to darker rural skies up north, and Florida is 20th.
States with the lowest probabilities
The analysis places these states in the bottom ten for likely prime November viewing conditions: Minnesota, Maine, Wisconsin, North Dakota, Indiana, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Vermont, and Washington. That said, local weather and a clear vantage point can always beat the odds.
Viewing tips
- Check local moonrise and moonset times for your area and set a reminder.
- For the most dramatic view, watch near the horizon: look east at evening moonrise or west at morning moonset. When low on the horizon the moon can look larger and pick up richer colors from the atmosphere.
- Get to a higher vantage point and drive 20–30 minutes outside town for darker skies and better contrast.
- If clouds or bad weather spoil Wednesday, the moon will appear full for about three nights (November 4–6), so consider the night before or after.
- Technically, the instantaneous full-moon peak occurs at 8:19 a.m. ET on Wednesday, when it will be below the horizon for most U.S. observers.
How big will it look?
According to NASA, a supermoon appears about 8% larger than an average full moon, and roughly 14% larger than a micromoon (a full moon near apogee). In practice, the size difference is subtle and often hard to perceive without side-by-side comparison.
"Tonight’s Full Moon, the largest of the year, is 8% larger than an average Full Moon. Will be called by some a 'Super Duper Moon.' I’m okay with that, but only if you think a 16-inch pizza is super-duper-sized compared with a 15-inch pizza." — Neil deGrasse Tyson
Instead of worrying about whether you can notice the size change, take the opportunity to enjoy the sight: this is the closest you'll be to a full moon all year.