When is The Full Moon in November? The Beaver Full Moon 2023
Last Updated: November 9, 2023
The upcoming full Moon in November will grace our night sky on Monday 27, 2023 at 4:16 AM EST / 9:16 AM UTC. During this particular phase of its lunar cycle, the Moon will have aged 13.53 days, offering a near perfect illumination of 99.78%.
With a tilt angle of 176.019°, our natural satellite will be located approximately 378,935.54 km away from Earth. This equates to about 235,459.293 miles, or roughly 0.00253 Astronomical Units (AU). This means the Moon will only be about 6% away from its average perigee distance (closest distance from Earth).
In terms of light travel time, this distance corresponds to approximately 0.021 light minutes. In the realm of astrology, the Moon will align with the sign of Taurus on this day.
Countdown to the November Full Moon
November Full Moon Stargazing Information
The Moon’s magnitude, a measure of its brightness, will be -12.67. In astronomical terms, a lower value signifies a brighter object, which means the Moon will be exceptionally bright during this event.
The terms Ra/Dec refer to the Moon’s position in the sky, known as Right Ascension (Ra) and Declination (Dec). These coordinates will be 04h 33m51.3s and +24°56’04.6″, respectively, corresponding to the celestial longitude and latitude.
Similarly, the terms Az/Alt denote the Moon’s azimuth and altitude, which represent the Moon’s direction and height from the horizon, respectively. These will be 079°27’46.3″ for the azimuth and +23°26’10.5″ for the altitude.
The Moon will have an apparent diameter of 31 arcminutes and 23 arcseconds, so even though it will be quite enjoyable to the naked eye, observing it with a basic set of binoculars or a small telescope, will allow for a detailed exploration of its surface features if using a lunar filter. It might be too bright otherwise.
Additional information:
- Moonlight intensity: High
- Moonlight shadows: Strong
- Culmination time: location dependent
- Moonrise time: location dependant
- Moonset time: location dependent
- Supermoon? No
- Micromoon? No
- Blue moon? No
- Lunar Eclipse: No
- Conjunctions? None
- Close approach: None
Nearby night sky objects:
On that night, the full moon will be located right in the Taurus constellation, near what would constitute the horns. Just one degree south and you’ll fine Aldebaran, the 14th brightest star in the night sky.
In the same part of the sky, you will be able to see Jupiter, the godfather planet of the solar system, shining at a strong magnitude of -2.68. In between the Moon and Jupiter, Uranus is slowly making its way along the ecliptic.Â
In terms of nearby deep-sky objects, you will be able to spot The Pleiades (also known as the Seven Sisters) about 3 degrees to the east of the Moon. Although this object looks great even in binoculars, the strong shine of the full moon will most likely impair your view a tad bit.
Why is the Full Moon in November called the Beaver Moon?
There are a couple of variations on the reasoning behind this name. Some suggest that Beaver Moon came from the fact that this was the time to set beaver traps before the swamps freeze so that a decent supply of winter furs could be obtained. It’s also suggested that the name comes from the fact that beavers are actively preparing for winter this month.
It can also be called the Frost or Freezing Moon, particularly from Native American tradition. In Celtic, it is referred to as the Mourning Moon and the Darkest Depths Moon. In China, it is known as the White Moon.
Related reading: The Meaning Behind the 12 Full Moon Names
Observing this Beaver Full Moon with astronomical equipment
The Moon offers a variety of interesting features that you can observe, even with modest equipment. The Moon is without a doubt the easiest celestial object to observe with a backyard telescope or a pair of astronomical binoculars.
The Moon can shine a rather bright light when it is full so the use of a special lunar filter can help improve your view of the Moon. This is an additional component that reduces the amount of light coming into the telescope, making it easier to see the details without being blinded.
It essentially works much like ‘sunglasses’ for your telescope. It reduces glare and improves contrast, allowing you to see more detail. The filter threads into the bottom of an eyepiece, so it’s easy to add or remove as needed.
A smaller aperture telescope (60mm to 80mm) can provide good views of the Moon. You’ll be able to see a decent amount of detail, including larger craters and lunar maria.
Medium aperture telescopes (around 100mm to 150mm) will give you a much better view, revealing many more features and allowing you to see smaller craters and other details.
With large aperture telescopes (200mm and above), that’s where the magic happens! You’ll see more detailed views of the edges of lunar maria, where they meet the highlands.You’ll be able to discern more subtle color differences in the lunar surface as well as mountain ranges casting subtle shadows on the lunar surface. You might be able to see hints of the lunar domes, which are gentle, rounded mounds thought to be the remnants of ancient lunar volcanoes.
Be sure to choose the correct eyepiece as it will greatly influence your field of view at the eyepiece. Try my field of view calculator to determine the best eyepiece for your lunar observations.
Planning your lunar observation with Stellarium
Stellarium is a free open-source planetarium for your computer that shows a realistic sky in 3D, just like what you see with the naked eye, binoculars, or a telescope. It’s one of my favourite stargazing applications. I use it on a weekly basis and it’s super easy to use.
Here is a step-by-step guide to using it for timing your observation of the upcoming beaver full Moon:
- Set Your Location: Open https://stellarium-web.org/ into your internet browser. In order to find accurate rise and set times for the Moon, you need to set your geographic location. Click on the “Location Window” button on the left toolbar. In the window that pops up, search for your city in the “Search” field, then click on your city’s name in the list. This sets your location.
- Set the right time: Stellarium can show you the sky at any time, past, present, or future. To get the full Moon time, which in November will be the 27th, you need to click on the “Date/time window” button on the bottom right of the screen. You can also manually adjust the time by hours and minutes and see the sky move before your eyes.
- Locate the Moon: Now, you need to find the Moon in the sky. You can do this by using the search function. Click on the “Search Window” button on the centre top of screen. Type “Moon” into the search field and press enter. The view should now center on the Moon.
- Check Moonrise and Moonset Times: Once the Moon is centered, an information box should pop up on the upper left corner of the screen. This box will provide various details, including the moonrise and moonset times for the chosen day.
Dates & Times for the other Moon phases in November
Besides the full moon, there are seven other major phases in the lunar cycle: the new moon, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, waning gibbous, last quarter, and waning crescent. Each of these phases presents a unique view of the moon and contributes to the lunar cycle that we observe from Earth.
- Last Quarter on Sunday, 05 November 2023 at 00:37 PST 08:37 UTC)
- New Moon on Monday, 13 November 2023 at 01:28 PST (09:28 UTC)
- First Quarter on Monday, 20 November 2023 at 02:50 PST (10:50 UTC)
The next Beaver full Moon will take place on Friday 17 November 2024 at 13:28 PST (21:28 UTC)
Lunar Luminosity: the full Moon’s light influence on the world
The full Moon has a few notable influences on Earth:
- Tides: The gravitational pull of the Moon causes the Earth’s oceans to bulge out in the direction of the Moon.
- Light: A full Moon provides significant natural light at night, which can affect nocturnal animals’ behavior and plant life.
- Floral behaviours: Some species of plants, such as the Ephedra foeminea (also known as werewolf plant) releases its pollen in sync with the full Moon.
- Human behavior: There have been many theories on how the full Moon may affect humans differently, whether it be our sleep pattern, our cardiovascular system, menstruation cycles, and our mood and mental health. However, despite much scientific research that has been done in the last ten years, scientists have not been able to prove the effects of the full Moon on human psychology or behavior.
Full Moon celebrations around the world
The full Moon has been a significant cultural symbol and theme throughout human history, appearing in myths, legends, superstitions, and rituals across the globe. In Thailand, the full Moon is celebrated every month during the infamous full Moon party.
In Sri Lanka, each full Moon day is a public holiday, known as Poya. Each Poya has its own name and is associated with Buddhist events. These days, people often go to the temple for religious observances.
In Wiccan traditions, an Esbat is a ritual observance of the full Moon. It’s a time for meditation, divination, and spellwork that align with the peak of the Moon’s energy.
In China, the Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival, is celebrated during the full Moon of the 8th lunar month (usually September). Families gather to admire the Moon, eat mooncakes, and in some regions, light lanterns.
If you know of any more celebrations that should be added to this list, let me know in the comment.
How dull would our night sky be without our natural satellite? Why not use this full moon as an opportunity to plan a lovely stargazing date with someone special in your life?
Past Full Moons This Year
- The January ‘Wolf” Full Moon
- The February ‘Snow’ Full Moon
- The March ‘Worm” Full Moon
- The April ‘Pink” Full Moon
- The May ‘Flower” Full Moon
- The June ‘Strawberry’ Full Moon
- The July ‘Buck’ Full Moon
- The August ‘Sturgeon’ Full Moon
- The September ‘Corn’ Full Moon
- The October ‘Hunter’ Full Moon
Next Full Moons This Year
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This moon-related story is part of our collection of stargazing articles. If this piece sparked your interest, you’re sure to enjoy the fascinating insights offered in our subsequent articles.
