The first of four supermoons this year rises next week and stargazers could catch a moon that can be 30% brighter than average.
This week’s full moon will also be a supermoon, the final one of 2024 and the last one we’ll see for quite some time.
So what makes the ‘Beaver Moon,” as it was named by Native Americans, so special this month? Here’s what you need to know.
When will the supermoon rise in the sky?
The Beaver Moon comes within about 225,000 miles of Earth on Thursday. It won't reach its full lunar phase until Friday, however.
The full moon phase begins at 3:28 p.m. CST and will officially rise starting at 4:05 p.m. CST in the Chicago area, according to Time and Date. The moon will reach its peak height in the sky over the Chicago area at 11:51 p.m. CST. Those looking to see it at that peak, will want to look to the south.
NASA reported the moon "will appear full for about three days around this time, from a few hours before sunrise on Thursday morning to a few hours before sunrise on Sunday morning."
The supermoon rises after the peak of the Taurid meteor shower and before the Leonids are most active.
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What is a supermoon?
According to NASA, a supermoon occurs when the moon is within 90% of its closest approach distance to Earth. That distance is approximately 221,938 miles, according to the agency.
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Supermoons appear slightly larger in the sky and a good deal brighter than a moon at its apogee, or its furthest point from the Earth in its orbit.
According to NASA, supermoons always appear consecutively, and there are typically three-to-four per year.
What makes this month’s supermoon special?
According to NASA, this month’s supermoon will be the last one to occur at a full moon until Oct. 2025, with nearly 11 months elapsing without a supermoon being visible in the night sky.
There will be four straight supermoons between Oct. 2025 and Jan. 2026, according to the agency.
