Stargazers are in for a double feature this weekend: the Beaver Moon, the last supermoon of the year, will share the celestial stage with the dazzling Leonid meteor shower.
The Beaver Moon will reach the top of its full phase on Friday at 4:29 PM ET. This is the last supermoon of this year’s four supermoons, when the moon appears larger and brighter than normal, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac.
And as the Beaver Moon rises, onlookers may catch a glimpse of a “moon illusion,” a period when the supermoon could appear even larger than normal due to an optical illusion.
Scientists aren’t actually sure why this happens, but believe our brains don’t know that the distance to the moon doesn’t change that much no matter where it is in the sky on a given night, said NASA Public Engagement Specialist Preston Dyches.
The Beaver Moon is named after the time of year when beavers go into hibernation. According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, during the fur trade in North America, this was also the season when beavers were captured for their thick, winter-ready pelts.
A supermoon occurs when a full moon coincides with the moon’s closest approach to Earth in its elliptical orbit, a point known as perigee. According to NASA, “supermoon” is not an official astronomical term, but is typically used to describe a full moon that falls within at least 90 percent of perigee.
Those hoping to catch a glimpse can expect a bonus scene in the sky as the Leonid meteor shower reaches its peak Saturday night into early Sunday, according to the American Meteor Society. Although the best viewing period will be the weekend, the Leonids will be visible until the meteor shower ends on December 2.
Upcoming celestial events include the last full moon of 2024 on December 15, the Geminids meteor shower which will peak from December 12 to 13 and the Ursid meteor shower which peaks December 21 to 22.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
