Gary Hershorn / Getty Images
An illustrative photo of a supermoon seen behind the EdgeNYC observation deck at Hudson Yards on October 17, 2024, in New Jersey.
SPACE – If full Moon evenings most often bring to mind werewolves, the last super Moon of the year 2024 will be placed under the sign… of the beaver. It can be observed during the night of this Friday, November 15, at precisely 10:28 p.m. The Moon will then appear brighter and larger than during a classic full Moon episode.
A “super moon” occurs when a full Moon coincides with the moment when the Earth's satellite reaches the point in its orbit closest to the Earth, also known as perigee. This proximity accentuates the apparent size of the star, which can appear up to 14% larger and 30% brighter than a usual full Moon, explains Futura Science.
“To the naked eye, the difference is very subtle, if not invisible”however, specifies the specialist astronomy site StarWalk. To better understand the extent of the phenomenon, it is advisable to go to an open area far from light pollution.
A name inherited from Native American traditions
This so-called super moon « you castor » will be the third of the year 2024, after those of the harvest and the hunter, on August 25 and September 17 respectively. These names come from the traditions of Native American tribes, who used to name the full Moons according to the particular characteristics of each month.
Thus, the month of August corresponded to the “Harvest Moon”a period when harvests were abundant, while that of September was nicknamed “Hunter’s Moon”because this was the time when the tribes prepared for winter and set out in search of game before snow covered the land.
Similarly, the “Beaver Moon” November probably takes its name from Native American practices, which consisted of setting their traps to capture beavers before the rivers froze, in order to harvest their fur for winter. Another hypothesis suggests that this name refers to the period when beavers prepare for the cold, strengthening their lodges and dams while storing their food. To observe the supermoon again « castor »you will then have to wait until November 24, 2026.
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