The year’s biggest and brightest full moon rises tonight on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025. The full beaver moon is also 2025’s biggest, brightest and best “supermoon,” looking bigger as it rises into the sky than any other full moon since 2019 and until December 2026. Here’s when to look up, why this one is special and exactly where to watch it live online.
What Is A Supermoon?
Supermoon is the popular term for a perigee full moon — when the moon is full while it’s near the closest point in its slightly elliptical orbit around Earth. Because it’s closer, it appears a bit larger and brighter than average (up to around 14% bigger and 30% brighter compared with a distant “micromoon”).
Why This Supermoon Is Special
Tonight’s beaver moon will be the closest full moon of 2025, placing the moon about 221,818 miles (356,980 kilometers) from Earth, making it the largest since February 2019. However, it will be surpassed in just over a year on Dec. 24, 2026, when an even closer supermoon rises.
What Time Is The Supermoon?
The time to see any full moon is at moonrise on the night of the full moon, when it first appears in the east. That’s when two forces combine — the closeness of the moon and the “moon illusion,” the latter making it look larger to the human brain when seen behind buildings and landscapes.
However, the night following the full moon can be equally as impressive — and that’s particularly true for western regions of North America, where the beaver moon will most impress at moonrise on Nov. 6 (simply because on Nov. 5 it coincides with sunset, so it occurs in a much brighter sky). Check the local time of moonrise where you are on both dates and find a viewing place with an unobstructed horizon facing east. Here are some sample times:
Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025
- New York: 4:35 p.m. EST (sunset is at 4:47 p.m. EST)
- Los Angeles: 4:55 p.m. PST (sunset is at 4:56 p.m. PST)
Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025
- New York: 5:18 p.m. EST (sunset is at 4:46 p.m. EST)
- Los Angeles: 5:45 p.m. PST (sunset is at 4:55 p.m. PST)
Where To Watch The Supermoon Online
If clouds spoil the show — or you want expert commentary — The Virtual Telescope Project is hosting a free live feed of the beaver supermoon rising on Nov. 5 from Manciano, Italy, beginning at 19:00 UTC (2:00 p.m. EST and 11:00 a.m. PST).
Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.
