For daily wit & wisdom, get the Almanac newsletter.

Full Beaver Supermoon November 2026: Date, Meaning, and Best Viewing

full beaver moon, november full moon, old farmer's almanac
Image Credit:
Colleen Quinnell/The Old Farmer's Almanac
Written By: Catherine Boeckmann Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

The Full Beaver Supermoon of November 2026 peaks on Tuesday, November 24, just days before Thanksgiving, making it the final Full Moon of autumn. Get more information, including Full Moon rise times, why we call it a Beaver Moon, and the best days by the Moon.

When to See November’s Full Moon

The Beaver Moon reaches peak illumination on Tuesday, November 24, at 9:5 A.M. EST. It will be below the horizon at that time, so be sure to look for it on the evenings of November 23 and 24. Find out exactly what time the Full Moon will appear above the horizon in your area with our Moonrise and Moonset Calculator.

What Makes the November 2026 Full Moon Special

The November Full Moon is a supermoon, the first in a series of three consecutive supermoons (November, December, January). A supermoon occurs when the Moon is at its closest point to Earth in its orbit, called perigee.

Because it’s a supermoon, it may appear slightly larger and brighter than a typical full Moon—up to 8% larger in diameter and 16% brighter. For most casual observers, the difference is subtle, but it’s more noticeable if compared to a micromoon, when the Moon is at its farthest point from Earth.

Being near perigee and full, this Moon can also produce slightly higher tides, known as perigean spring tides or king tides, especially along coastlines, though the effect is modest.

Why Is It Called the Beaver Moon?

For decades, the Almanac has referenced the monthly Full Moons with names tied to early Native American, Colonial American, and European folklore. Traditionally, each Full Moon name was applied to the entire lunar month in which it occurred and through all of the Moon’s phases—not only the Full Moon.

The Beaver Moon

Why the “Beaver” Moon? This is the time of year when beavers begin to take shelter in their lodges, having laid up sufficient food stores for the long winter ahead. During the fur trade in North America, it was also the season to trap beavers for their thick, winter-ready pelts. 

Beaver chewing on a tree in late autumn, associated with the Beaver Moon

Alternative November Moon Names

November’s Moon names highlight the actions of animals preparing for winter and the onset of the colder days ahead. Digging (or Scratching) Moon, a Tlingit name, evokes the image of animals foraging for fallen nuts and shoots of green foliage and bears digging their winter dens. The Dakota and Lakota term Deer Rutting Moon refers to the time when deer seek mates, and the Algonquin Whitefish Moon describes the spawning time for this fish.

About the seasonal change of November, this Moon has been called the Frost Moon by the Cree and Assiniboine peoples and the Freezing Moon by the Anishinaabe—for good reason, as winter is right around the corner!

→ See more Full Moon names and their meanings.

Full Beaver Supermoon rising over a river in November
Image: Moonrise over the Syr Darya river, Sunday, Nov. 13, 2016, Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls 

Moon Phases for November 2026

november 2026 moon phases including the full beaver moon

Below are the times for each Moon phase this month (in Eastern Time). Click here to see the Moon Phase dates and times for your location.

Moon Phases for November 2026
New Moon Last QuarterLast Quarter: November 1, 3:28 P.M. EST
New MoonNew Moon: November 9, 2:02 A.M. EST
First Quarter New MoonFirst Quarter: November 17, 6:48 A.M. EST
Full MoonFull Moon: November 24, 9:53 A.M. EST

→ When is the next Full Moon? Consult our Full Moon Dates chart.

Full Beaver Moon Video

An Almanac editor shares more facts and folklore about November’s Full Beaver Moon. Click below to watch the video.

Best Days in November 2026

Below are the best days for certain activities, based on the Moon’s sign and phase in November.

For Harvesting:

  • Aboveground crops: 22, 23
  • Belowground crops: 8, 26, 27

For Setting Eggs: 

  • 24, 25

For Fishing:

  • 9-24

See Best Days for more activities.

Moon Facts

  • Did you know: The spin time of the Moon on its axis is identical to the time it takes the Moon to revolve around Earth, which is why the Moon always keeps almost precisely the same face toward us. Learn more about the far side of the Moon.
  • How much would you weigh on the Moon? Just multiply your weight (it doesn’t matter if it’s in pounds or kilograms) by 0.165. You’d weigh about 80% less!

Learn more about Full Moon Names and share your thoughts about this month’s Moon below! 

Full Moon Names

About The Author

Catherine Boeckmann

Catherine Boeckmann

Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

Catherine Boeckmann loves nature, stargazing, and gardening so it’s not surprising that she and The Old Farmer’s Almanac found each other. She leads digital content for the Almanac website, and is also a certified master gardener in the state of Indiana.

Read more from Catherine Boeckmann

More Like This

Comments

<span>Jaan</span> Sat, 11/05/2016 - 15:40
What does it mean when your birthday falls on a Super moon. Not the moon phase at the time of your birth, but when your birthday (this year, Nov. 14, 2016) lands on a Super moon?
<span>Tamara</span> Wed, 11/25/2015 - 22:09
I find that the full moon the stars and space is also interesting. Tonight I took some pictures of the full moon I'll try to send one
<span>Tania George</span> Fri, 11/13/2015 - 12:20
Very neat to get to now the old ways of the moon
<span>Pat Dyer</span> Thu, 11/05/2015 - 22:00
This picture is exactly like one that I took last year. Locating it & sending it to you.
<span>Shalhvah</span> Tue, 11/18/2014 - 15:49
it is common knowledge that most births happen in or araound the change of the moon (Full moon or New Moon). Is there a reason why?
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Wed, 11/19/2014 - 13:40

Many people believe that there is a correlation between the full and/or new Moon phases and an increase in the number of births. Others think that this is a myth. Several scientific studies have not been able to prove the correlation. That said, we always welcome all perspectives and your thoughts on the matter.

 <span>Catherine</span> Tue, 11/24/2015 - 21:20
The reason for full moon births is because 9 months earlier they were conceived. :)
<span>Belinda Brown</span> Sun, 11/30/2014 - 02:53
Ask any Nurse or Doctor that works in Labor and Delivery they will tell you, yes more babies are born during the new and full moons. :)
<span>Jlpicard</span> Thu, 11/06/2014 - 06:18
quick question OFA - when we see half of the moon - we call it a quarter moon - I guess because we are seeing 25% of the whole thing. Following that logic - should a 'full' moon be a half moon - as we only see 50% of the whole? Please solve the debate with my son - as the descriptions appear inconsistent...
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Mon, 11/10/2014 - 11:00

Great question! According to the United States Naval Observatory, the First Quarter and Last Quarter Moon phases are named as such because of their position in the Moon's orbit. The First Quarter is 1/4 of the way through its orbit from starting position (New Moon), and the Third Quarter is 3/4 of the way along in its orbit.

http://aa.usno.navy.mil/faq/docs/moon_phases.php

The Full Moon is named instead for the percent of surface illuminated from our viewpoint (100 percent, full disc), and occurs when the Moon is 1/2 the way along in its orbit.

New Moon--named so because in this case it is the start of the lunar cycle; we can see no surface illumination from our position on Earth.