November’s Beaver Supermoon Will Be the Brightest and Closest Full Moon of 2025
A “beaver” supermoon will reach its peak brightness early on Wednesday, Nov. 5, making it the closest and most luminous full moon of 2025, according to Smithsonian Magazine. The Moon will hit maximum illumination at 5:19 a.m. Eastern on Nov. 5 — a time when it will already be below the horizon for many viewers across the United States.
Still, skywatchers can enjoy essentially the same near-full appearance on the evenings of Nov. 4 and Nov. 5, when the Moon will look nearly identical to its moment of peak illumination.
What makes it a "supermoon"?
The November full moon is labeled a supermoon because it occurs near lunar perigee, the point in the Moon’s orbit when it comes closest to Earth — this month at roughly 226,000 miles (about 363,000 kilometers). Planetary scientist Sara Russell of London’s Natural History Museum told Sky News this event is the second in a trio of consecutive full supermoons and is expected to be the closest of the year.
NASA notes that supermoons can appear about 7% larger than an average full moon and up to 14% larger compared with a full moon at apogee (its farthest point). Brightness differences are often more noticeable: EarthSky reports a supermoon may look roughly 16% brighter than a typical full moon and as much as 30% brighter than the dimmest full moons.
“The difference is most obvious as a comparison between other images or observations,” said Shannon Schmoll, director of Abrams Planetarium at Michigan State University, to the Associated Press.
Lowell Observatory astronomer Lawrence Wasserman added that supermoons can produce slightly higher tides, though the effect is modest compared with storm-driven or seasonal tidal changes.
Origins of the name “Beaver Moon”
The name “beaver moon” traces to seasonal behavior and historic trapping practices in North America: beavers typically begin sheltering in their lodges at this time, and the November full moon historically coincided with the peak of the beaver-trapping season. As Arlene B. Hirschfelder and Martha Kreipe de Montaño note in The Native American Almanac, many Indigenous peoples named each full moon to mark seasonal changes in wildlife, plants and climate. Other traditional November names include the digging or scratching moon, the deer-rutting moon, and the whitefish moon.
Is “supermoon” a scientific term?
“Supermoon” is a relatively recent, popular term coined by American astrologer Richard Nolle in 1979 to describe a new or full moon occurring within 10% of its closest orbital approach to Earth. Today the label is used mostly by the media to describe visually larger or brighter full moons. Some astronomers regard the term as more of a convenient headline than a rigorous astronomical category, but it remains useful for public engagement and skywatching.
Why you might want to look up
Although the visual differences can be subtle and often require side-by-side comparison to appreciate fully, the beaver supermoon is still a pleasant and accessible celestial event — a simple excuse to step outside and look up. It also serves as a reminder of the orbital patterns and distances that shape conditions on Earth and influence familiar sights in our night sky.
Viewing tip: Check local moonrise and moonset times (and weather) for the best view; light-polluted skies will reduce contrast, while a clear horizon can make the Moon appear especially impressive near moonrise or moonset.
