Stargazers are in for quite the double feature this weekend: The Beaver moon, the last supermoon of the year, will share the celestial stage with the dazzling Leonid meteor shower. The beaver moon will reach the crest of its full phase at 4:29 p.m. As the beaver moon is rising, spectators might glimpse a "moon illusion," a period of time where the supermoon could look even bigger than normal because of an optical illusion. The beaver moon was named after the time of year when beavers begin hibernation. Upcoming celestial events include the last full moon of 2024 on Dec. 15; the Geminid meteor shower, which will peak Dec. 12 to 13; and the Ursid meteor shower, which will peak Dec. 21 to 22.

Source: The North Africa Journal November 16, 2024 21:30 UTC