Science

Beaver Supermoon to Light Up Night Sky Tonight, Says SUPARCO

The Beaver Supermoon will be visible across the globe tonight, including in Pakistan, as the celestial event marks the moon’s closest approach to Earth this year, according to a statement issued by the Space & Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) on Wednesday.

SUPARCO explained that the moon’s orbit shifts between perigee, when it is nearest to Earth, and apogee, when it is farthest. A full moon that occurs at or near perigee results in what is known as a supermoon, and the Beaver Supermoon falls within this category.

The space agency noted that a full moon seen at perigee can appear up to 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter compared to one at apogee, although the difference is subtle to the naked eye. It added that the Beaver Supermoon is expected to be the biggest and brightest full moon of the year, reaching peak illumination at 6:19pm.

At its closest point, the moon will be 356,980 kilometres from Earth, SUPARCO said, making it about 7.9 percent larger and 16 percent brighter than an average full moon. The Beaver Supermoon is the second of three consecutive supermoons appearing in October, November, and December 2025 and will offer an impressive sight worldwide, including in Pakistan.

According to NASA, the name Beaver Moon comes from the Maine Farmer’s Almanack, which documented Native American names for full moons during the 1930s. Tribes in the northern and eastern regions of what is now the United States reportedly used the term Beaver Moon for this lunar phase.

Earlier, SUPARCO announced that another supermoon was visible from Pakistan on October 7 at 8:47pm, rising in the east after sunset and setting in the west before dawn. In September, however, Karachi residents missed a rare blood moon as cloud cover obstructed views of the total lunar eclipse.