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Sky watchers will receive a double treat at the end of November 2020, with a partial lunar eclipse occurring as the full “beaver moon” shines across the sky early in the morning.
The beaver moon – nicknamed because it’s the time of year when beavers build their winter dams in preparation for the cold winter – will reach its fullest phase on Monday morning, November 30, at 4:30 a.m. , eastern time. So it will look big and bright in the sky on Sunday night and Tuesday night too – assuming clouds aren’t blocking your view.
(Sadly, a large rainstorm is expected to hit the New Jersey area on Monday, and it could persist early on Tuesday.)
Partial lunar eclipse
As the moon becomes full early Monday morning, there will be a partial lunar eclipse – known as the penumbra eclipse. While it’s not as dramatic as a complete lunar eclipse, experts say it could be visible to sky watchers here in New Jersey and other parts of North America.
A penumbra eclipse occurs when the moon drifts through the outer portion of the Earth’s shadow, or penumbra, and some of the sun’s rays are prevented from shining on the moon during this time, astronomical experts say. from EarthSky.org.
Monday morning, “the moon will take 4 hours and 21 minutes to slide through the pale outer fringe (penumbra) of the Earth’s shadow, without ever reaching the dark shadow of the shadow,” explains the writer of Space.com astronomy Joe Rao.
“About 20 minutes before the deepest phase of the eclipse, you might see evidence of this slight penumbral shading on the upper edge of the moon,” Rao notes. “This corresponds to approximately 4:22 am EST; 03:22 CST; 2:22 a.m. GMT and 1:22 a.m. PST. “
If this were a complete lunar eclipse instead of a partial eclipse, the entire moon would briefly darken and give off a reddish orange tint.
By the way, it is quite safe to watch a lunar eclipse with a telescope, binoculars or your own eyes. No special filter is needed.
The full moon of November 2020 is coming soon, and its nickname is the “Beaver Moon”.Bruno Glatsch | Pixabay
Origin of the beaver moon nickname
The nickname “Beaver Moon” comes from the Algonquin Native American tribes and American settlers, who gave each full moon nicknames based on weather conditions, farming habits, and hunting trends at that time of year.
Some publications, like TimeAndDate.com, say the November moon gets its name “from the beavers that build their winter dams at this time of year.”
The Farmers’ Almanac says the nickname may have been derived from beavers preparing for winter in November, but notes it may have something to do with hunters. “It was time to set beaver traps before the marshes froze, to ensure a supply of warm winter furs,” the publication says.
Other nicknames for the November full moon
Much like other full moons throughout the year, the November full moon has generated several different nicknames over time.
In addition to the popular nickname “beaver moon”, the November full moon has also been referred to as “hunter’s moon”, “mourning moon”, “reed moon” and “frost moon” – a reference to the time that cools down during this month.
The full moon in December is commonly referred to as the “cold moon” because of the cold winter air.Pixabay
2020 Final Full Moon
If you are not lucky enough to see the full moon in November, you can search for the full “cold moon” in December.
This moon will officially reach its maximum phase at 10:28 p.m. EST on Tuesday, December 29, so it will look large the night before (December 28) and the following two nights (December 30 and December 31).
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