The last supermoon of 2024 will be visible worldwide on Friday evening.

This supermoon will reach its maximum brightness on Friday at 4:29 PM Eastern Time (9:29 GMT).

This moon will coincide with other celestial events, including the Leonid meteor shower and the Pleiades star cluster.

Here’s what you need to know:

What is a full moon and supermoon?

According to NASA, a full moon is defined as the moment when the moon is exactly 180 degrees opposite the sun. Essentially, the Earth, Moon, and Sun are all aligned at this point. During this time, the Sun almost completely illuminates Earth’s satellite.

A supermoon is defined as an astronomical phenomenon in which a full moon appears larger and brighter than normal. It happens when the full moon occurs at the same time it is in its closest orbit to Earth.

The term “supermoon” was coined by astrologer Richard Nolle in 1979 to describe a full moon that occurs when the moon is “within 90 percent of its closest point to Earth.”

At the other end of the moon’s observation spectrum is the micromoon – when the full moon looks particularly small and dull because it coincides with the point in the moon’s orbit when it is furthest from Earth.

What is the Beaver Moon?

This year’s Beaver Moon will be the fourth and final supermoon of 2024 and will look bigger and brighter as it gets closer to Earth, being about 361,867 km (225,000 miles) away on Thursday.

However, it will reach its full phase on Friday.

Full moons are normally given names that relate to things that happen in nature. According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, this name is also rooted in various traditions and folklore from Native American and European cultures.

In the Northern Hemisphere, this is the season when beavers settle into their huts, having stored enough food for the winter.

Some call it the Mourning Moon because it is the last full moon before the winter solstice. Other names include the Frost Moon and the Freezing Moon, and they come from the frost and early snow that begins this time of year, especially in northeastern North America.

Where and when can you watch it?

Supermoons can be seen worldwide, so maximum illumination times vary by location.

In India, the moon will reach maximum illumination at 2:58 a.m. (21:29 GMT) on Saturday, while people in London will be able to see the moon at around 9:29 p.m. local time on Friday.

In the Middle East’s Gulf countries, the moon will light up the sky at 00:29 GMT on Saturday.

Look up! The final #supermoon of the year is visible tonight 🌙

The #BeaverMoon will light up our skies, and the best viewing conditions will be right afterward #sunset! pic.twitter.com/6IrXiraVqZ

— Australian Geographic (@ausgeo) November 15, 2024

How can you look at the supermoon?

A regular stargazer should be able to see the full moon, if you’re in the right time zone.

NASA also recommends using binoculars “with a magnification of at least 7,” noting that “a magnification of 10 or 15 will provide more detail; you may need a tripod to keep them steady.

The next full moon on November 15 is called a ‘Beaver Moon’

Named after beavers who build their winter dams at this time of year pic.twitter.com/SAgKdpUe2S

— Latest in Space (@latestinspace) November 10, 2024

What other heavenly events are taking place?

The Leonid meteor shower will also reach its peak this weekend.

The Leonids are known for their fast-moving meteors, which can reach speeds of up to 70 km/second (44 mps). While most meteor showers come from cometary debris, the Leonids come from comet Tempel-Tuttle.

The Leonids are bright meteors and can even come in different colors. According to NASA, Earth watchers can witness a Leonid storm about every 33 years, with the number of meteors peaking at hundreds or even thousands per hour, depending on the observer’s location.

This Full Moon will also align with the Pleiades star cluster.

The Pleiades are a recognizable pattern of stars and an open star cluster consisting of more than 1,000 stars. They are located in the constellation Taurus, about 410 light-years from Earth.

This year, the brightness of the full moon may make it difficult to see most of the stars in the cluster. On Saturday at 1:59 a.m. Eastern Time (06:59 GMT), the Full Moon will be just 0°6′ away from the Pleiades.

The Pleiades, captured in infrared light!

In this image taken by the WISE Space Telescope, the surrounding dust, visible in infrared, shines even brighter than the stars themselves.

The Pleiades is a star cluster in the constellation Taurus. pic.twitter.com/xtCcqnHjib

— Black hole (@konstructivizm) November 11, 2024