The Beaver Supermoon: Biggest moon in 6 years

BEIRUT — The biggest and brightest full moon of 2025 — the Beaver Supermoon — is set to light up skies worldwide on Nov. 5, with Lebanon offering plenty of great spots to catch the show. The glowing spectacle will also be visible over the next few nights for those who miss it on its main debut.

The Beaver Moon marks the second supermoon of 2025. Because the moon’s orbit around Earth is slightly elliptical, there’s a point when it’s farthest away (apogee) and another when it’s closest (perigee). When a full moon coincides with its perigee, it appears larger and brighter — that’s what’s known as a supermoon.

This year’s Beaver Moon will be 100 percent illuminated just nine hours after reaching perigee, making it the closest full moon of the year at about 221,817 miles (356,980 kilometers) from Earth.

In other words, that’s roughly 8 percent larger and 16 percent brighter than your average full moon — a rare astronomical treat.

When's the best time to see it?

In Lebanon and across the eastern Mediterranean region, the Beaver Supermoon will reach its full phase around 3:19 p.m. local time (1:19 p.m. GMT) So it won’t be visible at that exact moment.

But the best time to see it will be:

Just after moonrise, around 4:45 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. local time, when it hangs low on the eastern horizon — that’s when it will look largest and most golden.

For night owls, you’ll also get a great view later in the evening when it climbs higher and shines brighter, especially between 8:00 p.m. and midnight, if the sky is clear.

Where to see it?

To catch the supermoon tonight, you don’t have to go far. A stroll along Beirut's corniche will give you front-row views of the moon rising over the Mediterranean — the city lights shimmering below, the sea reflecting its glow.

For a quieter spot, head to one of our public green spaces, like Sioufi Garden in Achrafieh, which offers a leafy escape with open skies perfect for moon-gazing.

If you’re after a crisper, more dramatic view, head for the hills. Broummana (Metn), Ehden (Zgharta), Deir al-Qamar (Chouf), Maghdoucheh (Saida), or even Faraya (Kesrouan) promise clear horizons and a cooler breeze — ideal for seeing the moon at its brightest and closest this year.

And if plans fall through or traffic wins, no problem. Just climb up to your rooftop, lean on the railing, and look up. The show comes to you tonight.