Beaver Moon, the last supermoon of the year, and Leonid meteors to light up the sky on the same weekend

Stargazers are in for quite a 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 peak of its full phase at 4:29 PM ET on Friday. This is the last supermoon of the year’s four supermoons, when the moon appears larger and brighter than usual, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac.

And as Beaver Moon rises, onlookers can glimpse a “moon illusion,” a period when the supermoon could appear even larger than normal due to an optical illusion.

Scientists are actually unsure why this happens, but believe our brains don’t know that the moon’s distance doesn’t change that much no matter where it is in the sky on any given night, said NASA Public Engagement Specialist Preston Dyches.

Beaver Moon was named after the time of year when beavers begin to hibernate. During the fur trade in North America, this was also the season for catching beavers for their thick, winter-ready pelts, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac.

A supermoon occurs when a full moon coincides with the moon’s closest approach to Earth in its elliptical orbit, a point known as perigee. According to NASA“supermoon” is not an official astronomical term, but it is typically used to describe a full moon that comes within at least 90 percent of perigee.

According to American Meteor Society. While the best viewing period will be this weekend, the Leonids will be visible until the meteor shower ends on December 2.

Upcoming celestial events include last full moon in 2024 on December 15, the Twin meteor shower which will peak from December 12 to 13 and the Clock face meteor shower which peaks from December 21 to 22.