The Last Supermoon Of 2024 To Light Up RI Skies Friday

RHODE ISLAND — If you missed 2024’s previous three supermoons, Friday is your last chance to see one this year, weather permitting in Rhode Island.

Moonrise at 3:59 p.m. Friday, about 25 minutes before sunset, should be spectacular if the skies cooperate. Right now, the National Weather Service forecast through the weekend calls for partly cloudy to clear skies in Rhode Island.

The November full moon is called the beaver moon because November is the time of year beavers begin moving into their winter lodges, where they’ve stored enough food to last them through the cold weather months.

November was also a busy time for North American fur trappers, who came to regard the thick, winter-ready beaver pelts as “furry banknotes” because of their high demand and price.

A supermoon occurs when a full or new moon coincides with the moon's closest point in its orbit around Earth, known as perigee, according to NASA. A full moon at perigee can appear up to 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter.

• Related: 2024 Guide To Meteor Showers, Supermoons, More

November’s supermoon won’t be the brightest of the four. That distinction belonged to the October hunter’s moon, which was 222,055 miles from Earth when it reached perigee. The November full moon will be 224,853 miles from Earth at the same point in its orbit.

The full beaver supermoon will appear to be full through the weekend. That could make it harder to see the Leonid meteor shower, which peaks this weekend, but they’re rich in fireballs — larger explosions of light and color that persist longer than an average meteor streak — the Leonids are also known for producing “earth-grazers,” which NASA explains are meteors with long, colorful tails that streak across the horizon.

Related: Solar Maximum Is Here; What It Means For Northern Lights

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