3 meteor showers, supermoon to shine in California sky. Here’s when to look up
Three meteor showers and an orange-colored supermoon will soon shine above California.
The beaver moon is one of three massive moons this year and the closest one to Earth, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac.
“The beaver moon will be 221,817 miles from Earth,“ the Almanac said. “This is the closest supermoon of the year.”
Here’s how to glimpse the upcoming celestial events this November:
When to watch October supermoon in California
The 11th full moon of 2025 will reach peak illumination at 5:19 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 5, according to online calendar Time and Date.
The supermoon will look full on the night of Tuesday, Nov. 4, and the night of Wednesday, Nov. 5, according to National Geographic.
It will also appear bigger and brighter than typical because the full moon is happening at perigee — the point when the moon is at its closest to Earth, National Geographic said.
“As the moon drifts over the horizon around sunset, it may appear larger and more orange,” the Almanac said.
November’s beaver supermoon is the second of three supermoons scheduled to take place in 2025, the Old Farmer’s Almanac said.
How did beaver moon get its name?
The November full moon is called the beaver moon, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac.
The name refers to the time of year when beavers start hunkering down for winter by taking shelter in their lodges. Late fall is also when fur traders used to trap beavers to acquire their thick winter pelts, according to the Almanac.
The November moon has also been called the digging moon, the deer rutting moon, the whitefish moon, the frost moon and the freezing moon.
The various names highlight “the actions of animals preparing for winter and the onset of the colder days ahead,” the Almanac said.
How to see Taurid meteor showers
Both the southern and northern Taurid meteor showers — originating from Comet Encke’s debris trail — will peak over California in November.
The southern Taurid meteor shower peaks on the night of Tuesday, Nov. 4, into the early hours of Wednesday, Nov. 5, according to National Geographic.
This shower usually only has a frequency around five shooting stars per hour, but this year could be better than average.
“2025 is expected to be one of those rare fireball swarm years, when exceptionally bright meteors—some shining brighter than Venus—light up the sky,” National Geographic said.
Californians may have trouble spotting them though since the moon will be 100% full amid the meteor shower’s peak.
Skywatchers have a better chance of glimpsing the northern Taurid meteor shower set to peak Tuesday, Nov. 11, into the morning of Wednesday, Nov. 12, according to the American Meteorological Society.
“This meteor shower is relatively weak, with an average rate of just five shooting stars per hour,” National Geographic said. “When the two showers overlap as they do in 2025, however, the odds of bright fireballs increase.”
When to see Leonid meteor shower
The final meteor shower of the month is set to peak overnight from Monday, Nov. 17, to Tuesday, Nov. 18.
As Earth passes through debris from Comet Tempel-Tuttle, dark sky conditions and a 9% full waning crescent moon could result in more vibrant meteors dashing across the night sky, National Geographic said.
Amateur astronomers can expect to see up to 15 shooting stars per hour under clear skies during the shower’s peak, according to the travel magazine.
