Community Corner
The Last Supermoon Of 2024 To Light Up CA Skies This Week
Friday is the last chance to see the full moon rise over California in 2024. Known as The Beaver Moon, here's when to look for it.
CALIFORNIA — If you missed 2024’s previous three supermoons, Friday is your last chance to see one this year, weather permitting, in California.
If the skies cooperate, the Friday supermoon show should be spectacular. In San Francisco, the moonrise will be at 4:41 p.m., and the sunset will follow at 4:57 p.m.
In Los Angeles, the moonrise will peek over the horizon at 4:35 p.m., followed by the sunset at 4:48 p.m.
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Further south in San Diego, the moonrise will begin at 4:34 p.m., and sunset will be at 4:47 p.m.
The most recent National Weather Service forecast through the weekend calls for intermittent clouds in the San Diego area, clear skies in both Los Angeles and San Francisco, for optimal visibility.
Find out what's happening in Across Californiafor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The November full moon is called the beaver moon because November is the time of year beavers begin moving into their winter lodges, where they’ve stored enough food to last them through the cold weather months.
November was also a busy time for North American fur trappers, who came to regard the thick, winter-ready beaver pelts as “furry banknotes” because of their high demand and price.
A supermoon occurs when a full or new moon coincides with the moon's closest point in its orbit around Earth, known as perigee, according to NASA. A full moon at perigee can appear up to 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter.
November’s supermoon won’t be the brightest of the four. That distinction belonged to the October hunter’s moon, which was 222,055 miles from Earth when it reached perigee. The November full moon will be 224,853 miles from Earth at the same point in its orbit.
The full beaver supermoon will appear to be full through the weekend. That could make it harder to see the Leonid meteor shower, which peaks this weekend, but they’re rich in fireballs — larger explosions of light and color that persist longer than an average meteor streak — the Leonids are also known for producing “earth-grazers,” which NASA explains are meteors with long, colorful tails that streak across the horizon.
Related: Solar Maximum Is Here; What It Means For Northern Lights
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