Beaver supermoon to appear on Friday – with Leonid meteor shower this weekend

Friday night is the last chance of the year to see a supermoon – and lucky stargazers might get to enjoy a meteor shower this weekend as well.

The moon will appear brighter and larger overnight into Saturday, but overcast conditions could make viewing difficult.

It has been nicknamed a Beaver Moon – which is one of the names for the November full moon – with origins in Native American and European culture, according to NASA.

The RSPB has called it the Woodcock moon – after the bird.

It will mark the year’s fourth and final supermoon, and the next one isn’t expected until October 2025.

What causes a supermoon?

Supermoons occur because the moon doesn’t orbit Earth on a perfectly circular path.

Moving in an oval around the planet, the moon’s closest point to the Earth is called the perigee and the furthest is called the apogee – with the celestial satellite up to 27,000 miles closer to Earth between the two.

When a full moon occurs at or near the perigee it looks slightly larger and brighter than a normal full moon.

However, despite the supermoon, it may be difficult to see, because of cloud cover.

Meteor shower

It comes a few days before the Leonid meteor shower.

One of the more prolific annual displays, the usually fast and bright meteors are associated with Comet Tempel-Tuttle.

The comet will leave a path of debris as it follows its orbit around the Sun. This mix of ice and dust then enters Earth’s atmosphere as it enters the path of debris on its own orbit.

The debris enter the atmosphere at speeds of 70km (44 miles) per second, vaporising and causing the streaks of light we call meteors.

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It’s expected on the night of 17 November, however, the supermoon could still be brighter and larger than normal then, affecting the visibility of the meteors.

The Leonids earn their name because they appear to stream from the head of the Leo constellation.

Shyam Balaji, researcher in astroparticle physics and cosmology at King’s College London, said: “To look for the Leonids, choose a spot away from city lights and other sources of light pollution.

“The meteors will appear to radiate from the constellation Leo, which rises in the east around midnight.

“This is where you should look. Bring a reclining chair, sleeping bag or blanket.

“Lie flat on your back with your feet pointing east and look up, taking in as much of the sky as possible.”

The next meteor shower is the Geminid meteor shower, which peaks in mid-December.