November Full Moon 2021: A Beaver Moon

November’s full “Beaver Moon” will occur on Nov. 19 and will undergo a partial lunar eclipse, visible from eastern Asia, Australia, the Pacific Ocean, much of North America, South America and northwestern Europe. The Beaver Moon partial lunar eclipse on Nov. 19 will be the longest of the century.

The full moon officially occurs at 3:58 a.m. EST (0858 GMT), according to Astropixels.com. For New York City observers, the moon will set about three hours later at 6:58 a.m. local time, per Time and Date.

The partial lunar eclipse will start at 1:02 a.m. EST (0602 GMT), which is five hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time, eight hours ahead of Pacific Standard Time, and 11 hours behind Australian Eastern Daylight Time (Melbourne). Unlike solar eclipses, lunar eclipses are visible from Earth’s entire nightside — though not every location will see the entire eclipse.

For example, the penumbral phase, when the moon darkens a bit but hasn’t entered the Earth’s main shadow, starts when the moon is still below the horizon in Melbourne or Tokyo, which are at the western end of the nightside of the Earth. Meanwhile in London or Oslo the partial phase of the eclipse, when the Moon gets dark (and turns the characteristic red color) doesn’t really get underway until after the moon sets — those two cities are at the eastern end of the Earth’s nightside.

For New York City observers, the moon enters the Earth’s penumbra Nov. 19 at 1:02 a.m. local time, and the moon will be relatively high in the sky, at an altitude of about 60 degrees roughly southwest. At 2:18 a.m. local time the top of the moon will start to darken as the umbra, the central part of the Earth’s shadow, touches the moon.

This is the beginning of the partial phase of the eclipse. Maximum eclipse will be at 4:03 a.m. — a sliver of the moon will still be lit, but the rest will be the classic red “Blood Moon” hue.

The partial phase ends at 5:47 a.m. in New York, and the moon sets at 6:58 a.m., just a few minutes before the penumbral phase ends. Read more here.

– BEAVER MOONS AND OTHER NOVEMBER NAMES – VIDEO HERE

Full moon names reflect local cultures. This lunation will be the 11th of the year; the Ojibwe people call it Mshkawji Giizis, or “Freezing Moon.” Similarly, the Cree people called it ” Kaskatinowipisim” or “Freeze up Moon.” Both the Cree and Ojibwe nations’ traditional territories are in the Great Lakes region, freezing temperatures begin in earnest in October and November, when the 11th lunatiuon of the year can occur.

In the Pacific Northwest, the Tlingit called the 11th full moon Cha’aaw Kungáay, which means “bears hibernate,” according to the “Tlingit Moon and Tide Teaching Resource” published by the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

In China, the full moon will be the 10th lunation, is called Yángyuè, or “Yang Month” as that is when the Taoist “yang” or masculine force is ascendant. In the Chinese calendar the lunation is marked as the 10th because the calendar is lunisolar rather than strictly lunar.

The KhoiKhoi people in South Africa called the November full moon the Milk Moon, according to the Center for Astronomical Heritage, an organization that works to preserve local astronomical traditions.

Credit to: Jesse Emspak
Contributing Writer

Jesse Emspak is a contributing writer for Live Science, Space.com and Toms Guide. He focuses on physics, human health and general science. Jesse has a Master of Arts from the University of California, Berkeley School of Journalism, and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Rochester. Jesse spent years covering finance and cut his teeth at local newspapers, working local politics and police beats. Jesse likes to stay active and holds a third degree black belt in Karate, which just means he now knows how much he has to learn.

If you hope to snap a photo of the eclipse, here’s our guide on how to photograph the moon with a camera.

If you need imaging equipment, our best cameras for astrophotography and best lenses for astrophotography have recommendations to make sure you’re ready for the next eclipse.

Editor’s note: If you snap a great photo of the Beaver Moon lunar eclipse or any other night sky sight you’d like to share with Space.com and our news partners for a story or image gallery, send images and comments to [email protected].