Beaver Moon to appear at end of long, holiday weekend

Although the moon will appear full all weekend, it’s not officially the November full moon until maximum brightness happens early Monday morning, Nov. 27, at 4:16 a.m. EST.

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The November full moon is also known as the Beaver Moon, and if you look west at those early hours, you will see it. If you’re not an early riser, you will still see the almost full moon on Sunday night about sunset, according to WMAR.

Full moons happen about every 29.5 days, so this November full moon will be the last of the autumn season. The first day of winter is officially Dec. 21, and our next full moon is not until Dec. 26.

It’s called the Beaver Moon because it’s the time of year when beavers start finishing up their lodges, where they will spend the winter. This is also the best time of year for trappers, because of the beavers’ thick, winter pelts, WMAR reports.

Most full moon nicknames are from Native American, Colonial American or European folklore, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac.

Next on the list of celestial light shows is the Geminids meteor shower that will hit its peak on Dec. 13-14. At that time the moon will be only a sliver, making the sky darker so it’s easier to spot streaks of light zipping across the night sky, the tv station reported.