Beaver Supermoon Wows Skywatchers on Nov. 5

Skywatchers around the world marveled at the Beaver Supermoon on November 5, 2025, as the largest and brightest full moon of the year rose into the evening sky, appearing up to 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter than average due to its close approach to Earth.

The event, which peaked at 8:19 a.m. Eastern Standard Time, marked the moon's perigee, its closest point in its elliptical orbit, at approximately 221,818 miles from Earth. This made it the nearest full moon since February 2019 and the second of three supermoons in 2025, following October's Harvest Moon. Observers in cities from New York to Sydney captured the glowing orb rising just after sunset, creating striking contrasts against urban skylines and natural landscapes. In the United Kingdom, the supermoon provided a luminous backdrop to Bonfire Night celebrations, illuminating fireworks displays across the country.

A supermoon occurs when a full moon aligns with perigee, the moon's closest orbital position, roughly 31,000 miles nearer than at apogee, its farthest point. This alignment amplifies the moon's apparent size and luminosity, though the difference is most noticeable to the naked eye near the horizon,...