The beaver moon, also known as November’s full moon, will be shining bright in the night sky starting Sunday, November 27, 2022. The moon will reach the crest of its full phase at 4:16 a.m. ET, according to EarthSky.
Dr. Noah Petro, chief of NASA’s planetary geology, geophysics and geochemistry lab, explained that the beaver moon will look like the familiar full moon, but due to libration, the slight movement of the moon that changes the angle at which sky-gazers see the side that faces Earth, the specific features are always a little different from one moon to the next.
The beaver moon’s name is believed to be inspired by the animal’s appearance when it retires to its lodge in anticipation of winter. The November full moon has also been referred to as the digging moon, frost moon, and freezing moon by various Indigenous cultures.
For those interested in seeing more celestial events, the cold moon will be the final full moon of the year on December 26, according to the Farmers’ Almanac. Additionally, the Leonid meteor shower is expected to be seen blazing in the night sky until December 2, followed by the Geminids meteor shower on December 13-14 and the Ursids meteor shower on December 21-22.