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?
According to Astronomy Magazine, the moon will hit its full phase at approximately 6:26 a.m. Central Standard Time on Friday morning.
That will occur just before sunrise in Chicago, which occurs at 6:40 a.m.
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.
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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.
