December’s full moon, also called the cold moon, over Washington D.C. from the rooftop of our son’s apartment building.
December’s Full Moon
Tag: Supermoon
November’s Beaver Moon
The most common name for November’s full moon is the Beaver Moon. Apparently it’s so named because beavers are busy building their winter dams in November.
(11/6/25 4:53 pm.)
November’s full moon has two names…it can also be called the frost moon, because frost is usual in Minnesota during this month.
November’s full moon, on November 5, was a supermoon. It was the largest and brightest moon of year (the distance from the earth was the closest). There are three supermoons in 2025…October, November and December.
No matter what time of the year, it’s always spectacular to see the moon.
A Moon Rising
Rain was predicted for our time up on the north shore, but we ended up with stunning weather; clear, fall-blue skies and warmer-than-usual temperatures every single day. What a gift.
We’ve been going up north once or twice a year for forty years. We are always refreshed and rejuvenated by the magnificent Lake Superior.
A practice I started years ago was to check the time for sunrise. It is so precise! If it states the sun will rise at 6:56 you can count on seeing the orange ball pop up over the horizon at 6:56.
I make sure I’m up to witness this event, and will set my alarm if need be – that is determined by the time of year. It is awesome to see the sun rise over the big lake. I have hundreds of stunning pictures of a Lake Superior Sunrise.
This year however, for the first time in forty years, we saw the moon rise over the lake. We have often seen a full moon shining on the lake (and a few times soon after it rose over the lake), but we’ve never seen it rising.
I knew we would be up north for October’s Harvest, or Hunter’s, supermoon, but I wasn’t expecting the event to happen until later in the evening.
But I happened to walk out onto the deck and looked east and there, larger than I’ve ever seen it, was the moon already half way above the horizon. I continued to watch it (and videoed it). I was so giddy to see this stunning site. It was huge, and it was rising, and it only took about 30 seconds to come into full view.
It was another amazing gift.
Give thanks to him who made the heavenly lights—
His faithful love endures forever.
the sun to rule the day,
His faithful love endures forever.
and the moon and stars to rule the night.
His faithful love endures forever.
Psalm 136: 7-9
Moon Shine
The skies are clear and there is plenty of moon shine these nights. The moon was full on January 1, 2018. It is not only a full moon but also a supermoon. A supermoon happens when the full moon coincides with the moon’s closest distance to earth in its orbit. Supermoons make the moon appear a little brighter and closer than normal.
There will be a full moon on January 31, 2018 too. And because it will be the second full moon in the same month it is called a blue Moon. This will also be a supermoon. This time it will also involve a total lunar eclipse, which is when the earth passes directly between the sun and the moon and casts a shadow on the moon.
I can sometimes see the moon outside my bedroom window while lying in bed. It is a beautiful sight. I find the moon very interesting. When I was much younger I wrote a letter to Pan Am Airways (an airline now defunct) and I asked to be put added to their waiting list of passengers interested in flying to the moon. They actually wrote back and said their list was full! Bummer! I believe I still have that letter in a memory box somewhere.
Enjoy the full, blue and super moons, no matter where you live.