The skies over Austin should be clear tonight, offering a great view of November’s beaver supermoon. It peaked early Wednesday but will rise again at 5:40 p.m.8:11 a.m. Thursday, giving an evening viewing window. Expect warm late-afternoon temperatures into the low–mid 80s, cooling to about 72°F by 8 p.m. and into the low–mid 60s late at night; clouds arrive after midnight, keeping lows in the upper 50s. A supermoon occurs at lunar perigee (about 224,895 miles away) and will appear roughly 14% larger and 30% brighter than the year’s smallest full moon.
Austin’s November Beaver Supermoon Tonight — Best Times to Watch
The skies over Austin should be clear tonight, offering a great view of November’s beaver supermoon. It peaked early Wednesday but will rise again at 5:40 p.m.8:11 a.m. Thursday, giving an evening viewing window. Expect warm late-afternoon temperatures into the low–mid 80s, cooling to about 72°F by 8 p.m. and into the low–mid 60s late at night; clouds arrive after midnight, keeping lows in the upper 50s. A supermoon occurs at lunar perigee (about 224,895 miles away) and will appear roughly 14% larger and 30% brighter than the year’s smallest full moon.
14:54, 06.11.2025Science
Clear Skies Offer a Great View of November’s Beaver Supermoon
Clear skies over Austin — while not helping the drought — create excellent conditions for viewing November’s full beaver supermoon. This is the 11th full moon of the year and the second in a run of four consecutive supermoons.
The moon reached peak brightness early Wednesday morning (around 6:48 a.m. local time), but there’s another prime viewing window tonight: the supermoon will rise at 5:40 p.m. from the east-northeast and won’t set until 8:11 a.m. on Thursday.
Weather and Viewing Tips
Weather should cooperate — expect clear skies and light winds. Late afternoon (around 5 p.m.) will be the warmest, with temperatures climbing into the low to mid-80s under sunshine. After moonrise, temperatures should fall to about 72°F by 8 p.m., with light southerly winds of 2–6 mph.
If you plan a late-night look, consider a light jacket: readings are forecast to drop into the low–mid 60s by 11 p.m., though skies should remain clear through the evening.
Clouds will begin to move in after midnight from the Gulf, spreading northwest. By Thursday morning the cloud deck should sit along and east of the I-35 corridor, which will keep overnight lows slightly warmer — in the upper 50s — than a typical night this time of year.
What Is a Supermoon?
A supermoon occurs when the Moon is at perigee, its closest point to Earth in its elliptical orbit (about 224,895 miles away). The Moon’s physical size doesn’t change, but from our vantage point it appears larger and brighter. This week’s supermoon will look roughly 14% bigger and 30% brighter than the smallest full moon of the year.
Names and Traditions
According to Earth.com and other traditional sources, every full moon has seasonal names. In North America, November’s full moon is commonly called the beaver moon, reflecting the time when beavers build lodges and prepare for winter. The hunter’s moon — which typically follows the harvest moon in October or early November — earned its name because bright moonlit nights helped hunters track game and stockpile food for winter. Other historical names for November’s moon include the frost or freezing moon, marking the seasonal cooling.
Long before electric lighting and printed calendars, people relied on these lunar cycles to mark time, schedule harvests and prepare for the cold months ahead.
Next full moon: Thursday, Dec. 4 — it will also be a supermoon.