JACKSON, Wyo. —The full moon is on the rise and this month it coincides with the 2022 midterm elections and is also a total lunar eclipse. This is the second lunar eclipse of the year but may not be visible due to the cloudy, snowy weather, expected throughout the day and night.
Last evening, the moon appeared big and bright, rising just before 4:30 p.m. and was 98.5% full, peak illumination will be this evening Nov. 7. Then at 1:02 a.m. Nov. 8, the lunar eclipse will begin.
A lunar eclipse occurs when Earth stands directly between the moon and the sun, casting its shadow on the moon. A total lunar eclipse is when the moon is fully covered by the shadow, giving the moon a red tint, known as a “blood moon.”
The total eclipse begins at 3:16 a.m., this is when the moon is completely red. The maximum eclipse is at 3:59 a.m. when the moon is closest to the center of the shadow. The total eclipse will end at 4:41 a.m. The partial eclipse ends at 5:49 a.m and the penumbral eclipse ends at 6:56 a.m.
November’s full moon has been known by many names including the “Geese Going Moon,” the “Frost Moon,” and most popularly, the “Full Beaver Moon.”
According to The Old Farmers Almanac, the full moons were given names by the Native American tribes corresponding to nature and as a way to track the seasons. “Traditionally this is the time of year when beavers are actively preparing for winter, and also the time to set traps before the swamp froze to ensure the supply of warm winter furs.”
According to some estimates, there used to be more than 60 million North American beavers. However, because people have hunted them for fur and their glands for medicine, among other reasons, the beaver population has declined to around 12 million.
