The Beaver Moon is the last full Moon before Christmas, and is an easy one to spot, thanks to the long nights as we approach the winter solstice next month.
But when is the best time to see the full Beaver Moon from the UK? Which constellation will the Moon be in? Here’s everything you need to know (and more).
Why not make the most of the longer nights with our full Moon UK calendar and astronomy for beginners guide? And in case you missed it, veteran astronomer Pete Lawrence has put together this comprehensive guide to how to take great pictures of the Moon; all you need is a smartphone to get started.
When can I see the Beaver Moon in 2023?
The full Beaver Moon will be visible tonight (26 November) and tomorrow (27 November), in the UK, US and around the world. We’ll be unable to see the Moon at its peak in the UK, as it will be just after moonset and will be below the horizon at this time. However, it will also appear full when it rises later in the afternoon of 27 November.
When viewed from London, the Beaver Moon will rise in the northeast at 3:08pm GMT on 26 November, and set in the northwest at 7:59am GMT on 27 November. The Moon will reach peak illumination at 9:16am GMT on 27 November.
From New York, the Beaver Moon will rise at 3:50pm EST on 26 November, and reach peak illumination at 4:16am EST on 27 November, and set at 7:20am EST.
From Los Angeles, the Beaver Moon will rise at 4:55pm PST on 26 November, and reach peak illumination at 1:16am EST on 27 November, and set at 08:09 am EST.
The Sun will set at 3:59pm GMT (4:31pm EST from NYC, 4:44pm PST from LA) on the 26th, so the Moon will rise into a gradually darkening sky.
If the low-hanging clouds refuse to part, or you’re unable to see the full Beaver Moon at its peak, it will also appear full tomorrow afternoon on 28 November.
When is the best time to see the full Beaver Moon?
“The best time to see the Beaver Full Moon this year, is on the morning of Monday 27 November,” says Dr Darren Baskill, astronomer and lecturer at the University of Sussex.
“It’s an impressive sight when it is low on the horizon,” he adds.
“If we have clear skies, take a look at around 7am on the morning of 27 November. As the Sun rises in the south-east, the fully illuminated Beaver Moon will be visible in the opposite direction, low in the north-west as it sets the dawn sky.”
But don’t worry if clouds obscure your view, or you can’t quite drag yourself out of bed on what’s likely to be a very chilly morning:
“You have a second opportunity to admire the full Moon hugging the horizon when it rises in the north-east as the Sun sets later that same day [on 27 November], just before 4pm in the UK,” Baskill says.
“Full Moons always occur when the Moon is on the opposite side of the sky to the Sun, and it is fully illuminated by sunshine - which is where the name ‘full Moon’ originates.”
Why is it called a Beaver Moon?
“Different cultures have long given different names to the 12 Full Moons of the year,” says Baskill. “The November full Moon is known by such names as the Beaver Moon, the Frost Moon, or the Moon Before Yule.”
“While the origins of such names have often been lost over the years, beavers are most active at dawn and dusk. They can be seen beavering away overnight by the light of this aptly named Full Moon. Beavers are especially visible at this time of the year as the absence of leaves on trees and shrubs makes them easier to spot,” Baskill explains.
Primarily nocturnal creatures, these large, semiaquatic rodents can be seen preparing their dams, building them up across lakes, rivers and streams. It's also when they begin gathering stocks of food in preparation for the long winter months. For fur traders, it's also the last opportunity to set beaver traps for winter-ready pelts.
What constellation will the Moon be in?
Two days before full on 25 November, the Moon will pass 2.8 degrees north of Jupiter in the constellation Aries. On 26 November, it will pass 2.6 degrees north of a faint Uranus (still in Aries).
On the night of full, on 27 November, the Moon will have crossed into Taurus the Bull and be situated around 2.6 degrees north of the bright red giant star, Aldebaran.
What is the Moon illusion?
The Moon illusion is when the Moon appears bigger than it actually is, and it will come into play this November.
It’s a perceptual phenomenon where the moon appears larger when it’s near the horizon, than when it has risen higher in the sky, despite being the same physical size. As the name ‘Moon illusion’ suggests, it’s an optical illusion – our eyes playing tricks on us – but scientists still don't fully understand why this happens.
The consensus is that it’s influenced by the brain's comparison of the Moon to familiar objects on the horizon – foliage, hills, cityscapes, buildings, masts etc. This creates a visual context that makes the Moon seem larger, than when viewed in isolation against the open sky. The exact mechanisms continue to be a subject of debate, but it’s always nice to spot the Moon near the horizon for this reason.
Is the Beaver Moon in 2023 a supermoon?
No, although the Moon illusion will make the Moon appear bigger when it’s on the horizon, the Beaver Moon in 2023 is not a supermoon.
A supermoon occurs when the Moon, which is orbiting the Earth in an elliptical orbit, is at its closest point to Earth along this orbit (called perigee). When the Moon reaches perigee at the same time as a full Moon, it appears larger and a little brighter than an average full Moon, giving us a supermoon. The technical term for a supermoon is a perigee-syzygy Moon.
A supermoon is an unofficial classification for when the Moon is situated 360,000km (or less) away from Earth in its orbital path and when taking into account the preceding or succeeding apogee and perigee. So although the July and September Moons this year fell slightly outside of the 360,000km, they did classify as supermoons.
We'll often see two or three full supermoons in a row, giving us a 'supermoon season'.
The opposite is also true. When the full Moon is at the furthest point away from Earth along this orbit – this is called the apogee – we get a micromoon as the Moon appears smaller.
The supermoons in 2023 were:
- July – the Buck Moon: 361,934 km (224,895 miles)
- August – the Sturgeon Moon: 357,530 km (222,158 miles)
- August – a rare Blue Moon: 357,344 km (222,043 miles)
- September – the Harvest Moon: 361,552 km (224,658 miles)
How often do full Moons occur?
Full Moons occur every 29.53 days (the lunar cycle takes exactly 29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes and 3 seconds). This is how long it takes the Moon to orbit the Earth once, as measured from new Moon to new Moon. Another name for this is one synodic month.
There are usually 12 full Moons in a year, however, in 2023, we have 13. This is because the lunar cycle takes a little under one calendar month, which occurs around every two to three years. The extra Moon this year was at the end of August, the Blue Moon.
The next full Moon will be the Cold Moon on 26/27 December 2023.
About our expert
Dr Darren Baskill is an outreach officer and lecturer in the department of physics and astronomy at the University of Sussex. He previously lectured at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, where he also initiated the annual Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition.
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