Skywatchers will get a view of the second-to-last full moon of the year when the 2023 Beaver Moon fills the night sky this evening. The Beaver Moon was named such because this time of year is when beavers have usually begun to take shelter for the winter, having gathered enough stores to keep them warm and fed.
The penultimate full moon of 2023 will begin its rise around 3:48 p.m. EST, according to In the Sky. It will become even more visible around 6:30 p.m. EST when the sun sets behind the horizon.
The full Beaver Moon of 2023 should continue to be visible throughout the evening and well into tomorrow morning when it finally sets at around 8:28 am. EST. While full moons aren’t exceptionally special events — they happen every month — they can still be really nice for skywatchers, especially if you like capturing photos of the night sky.
This latest Beaver Moon will help us herald in the final days of 2023, giving us a beautiful show in the sky. Throughout history, the various full moons of the year have been given different names, depending on who was talking about them. The Beaver Moon is also known as the Digging Moon, the Frost Moon, and the Whitefish Moon, depending on where you are.
The moon will continue to wane over the coming days, completing the phase and restarting it again before December’s own full moon kicks in. The moon isn’t nearly close enough for this full moon to be a supermoon, though, so those hoping for another supermoon this year will undoubtedly be disappointed. We saw the last supermoon of 2023 back in September.
Still, if you enjoy seeing the various shows that our night sky has to offer, then November’s Beaver Moon should certainly be on your list. Make sure to head outside tonight to take advantage of this beautiful spectacle.