Friday, November 19, 2021
Sunset – 5:17 pm
Moonrise – 5:35 pm
High Tide – 8:18 pm
Full Beaver Moon
With the recent time change, the sun sets early and the moon rises early. The weather forecast is good for a bonfire on the beach with friends and neighbors. We will start the bonfire near sunset and it will need to be out by 10:00. The bonfire will be between Boardwalks 1 and 2.
To keep things simple, each person brings what you want: food, drinks, chairs, and a stick of firewood for a big bonfire. Nothing will be provided but a beautiful beach, a bonfire, and hopefully, a full moon.
People ask if the bonfire will be held if it’s rainy… the bonfire will be canceled if it is raining or rain is threatening as few would be comfortable attending.
The terms of the permit require that the fire be out no later than 10:00 pm. The earlier sunset means there will still be plenty of time to enjoy our beautiful beach and the companionship of our friends and neighbors.
Put these dates for the Full Moon Bonfires on your calendar:
- Sunday, December 19
- Monday, January 17
- Thursday, February 17
There’s always plenty of room on the beach for everyone, so invite a friend or bring your house guests.
This year, November’s Beaver Moon is accompanied by a partial lunar eclipse that will be just shy of the total — 98% of the Moon will be covered by Earth’s shadow at the height of the eclipse! During a lunar eclipse, the Moon, Sun, and Earth stand in a line with the Earth in the middle, causing the planet’s shadow to be cast onto the Moon. This gives the full Moon a reddish, coppery hue. This near-total lunar eclipse will be visible from most of North America, reaching its maximum at approximately 4:00 am Eastern Time on Friday, November 19. Note: this lunar eclipse is on Friday morning before our full moon bonfire.
The Leonid meteor shower occurs each year in November and peaks toward the middle of the month. The Leonids are bright meteors, can also be colorful, and are considered to be some of the fastest meteors out there, according to NASA. Stargazers can see plenty of meteors during the activity period of Nov. 6-10. Skywatchers can expect to see anywhere from 10 to 15 meteors an hour at the peak of the Leonid meteor shower, according to EarthSky. And that is under ideal conditions, which includes a rural location and a moon that’s absent in the sky. “In 2021, we have to deal with a waxing gibbous moon, which will make it hard to see fainter meteors. The best time to look is just before dawn (on Nov. 17) after the moon has set,” the website states.
How the Full Moon got its name:
Per Old Farmers Almanac (https://www.almanac.com/content/full-moon-names):
NOVEMBER: Full Beaver Moon – This was the time when beavers finished preparations for winter and retreated into their lodges. In the 1760s, Captain Jonathan Carver heard this Native American term during his travels.
Also in the realm of animals, Deer Rutting Moon (Dakota, Lakota) refers to the mating season. Digging/Scratching Moon is a Tlingit term for when bears dig their winter dens. Whitefish Moon (Algonquin) describes the spawning time for this fish.
As cold temperatures deepen, the terms Frost Moon (Cree, Assiniboine) and Freezing Moon (Anishinaabe) were also used.
I found another website (http://newsclipper.hubpages.com/hub/The-Moon-Facts-Trivia-and-Folklore) This site also says the Cherokee Indians called it the Trading Moon and the English Medieval name was the Snow Moon.
Another website (https://www.space.com/16830-full-moon-calendar.html) says the Chinese call it White Moon.
-Submitted by Judy Morr