Skywatchers In Texas Get Rare Treat With Beaver Supermoon

The name "beaver super moon" is bound to make you giggle. It's a funny name, but still a pretty cool event. Now, stargazers across Texas will have some of the best viewing spots to check out this November Beaver Supermoon.

According to a new nationwide study by The Action Network, Texas ranks No. 7 in the United States for Beaver Supermoon visibility, making it one of the best places in the country to catch November’s celestial show.

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The ranking credits Texas’ dark-sky regions, dry desert air, and strong late-fall clarity- ideal conditions for skywatchers looking to experience this rare lunar event.

What Is the Beaver Moon?

The Beaver Moon is the traditional name for the full moon of November. The term comes from early Native American and Colonial times, when this was the season beavers built their dams and trappers set their beaver traps before winter. November's full moon became known as the Beaver Moon, symbolizing preparation and survival as colder weather set in.

This year’s event is extra special: it’s also a supermoon, meaning the Moon will be at its closest point to Earth in its orbit, making it appear bigger, brighter, and bolder than usual in the Texas sky.

Why Texas Made the Top 10

The Beaver Supermoon will reach peak brightness on Wednesday, November 5 at 8:19 a.m. ET (7:19 a.m. CT / 6:19 a.m. MT), shining up to 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter than a typical full moon- the closest to Earth since 2019.

Texas’ unique geography gives it a major advantage:

• The state’s average elevation of 1,700 feet- including high desert basins in Far West Texas- provides cleaner, thinner air.
• Texans enjoy nearly 12 clear days in November, giving strong odds for unobstructed moon views.
• With 53 percent average humidity statewide, and much lower levels out west, skies stay crisp and dry.
• Texas also earned a darkness score of 3.93 / 5, supported by one Bortle-1 and 12 Bortle-2 dark-sky sites, world-class for stargazing.

Although the official peak happens in the morning, the best time to watch is at moonrise on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, when the Moon looks its biggest and most dramatic near the horizon.

El Paso’s Front-Row Seat

Here in El Paso, conditions couldn’t be better. The city’s low humidity, high elevation, and open desert views make it a natural Supermoon hotspot.

READ MORE: Two of the Best Places to Admire the Milky Way in Texas

Plan your watch party around 4:30 p.m. Tuesday or 5:12 p.m. Wednesday (MT) as the Moon clears the Franklin Mountains. With clear desert air and wide horizons, locals are in for one of the brightest night-sky shows of the year.

Whether you’re stargazing from a West Texas desert, a Hill Country ranch, or your own backyard, Texas offers some of the best Supermoon viewing in America.