In the traditions of the native peoples of North America, the full moon of each month was given a name related to the natural phenomena they observed on Earth. Thus, February was called the “snow moon,” because it was a time of heavy snowfall, and May was called the “flower moon.” In November it is the turn of the “beaver moon”, so called because it coincides with the time when these animals build their dams. This time, in addition, it will be a supermoon.
This phenomenon occurs when the full Moon coincides with the moment when the satellite is at its closest point to Earth, perigee, about 356,000 kilometers away. These factors make the Moon appear brighter and larger: approximately 14% larger and 30% brighter. It will be a good time to look up and spend a few minutes contemplating a wonder that often goes unnoticed.
The super beaver moon will appear in the sky of Guadalajara at 6:23 p.m. with a visible surface of 99.4%. In Mexico City it will do so at 6:08 p.m. and in Monterrey at 6:01 p.m. In areas with Pacific time, such as Tepic, it will be from 5:28 p.m., and in Baja California, at 4:54 p.m. As it gets darker, its appearance will be even more impressive.
The best thing to enjoy an astronomical event like this is to look for a place with as little light pollution as possible; For city dwellers, it can be a truly impressive experience.
The areas near the La Primavera forest, in Guadalajara, can be almost twice as dark as the city center, with a reduction of up to four points on the Bortle scale, which measures the darkness of the night sky and the ease of observing the stars.
To locate a dark area near your location, you can consult this light pollution map and take advantage of today’s supermoon, as well as upcoming astronomical events.