The Full Beaver Moon of 2020 and Penumbral Lunar Eclipse

Astrophotography
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According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, the November full moon is called the Full Beaver Moon. This is the time when beavers usually went into their lodges for winter. This year’s Beaver Full Moon will also be part of a penumbral lunar eclipse. This means the moon enters into Earth’s penumbra or outer shadow. During the eclipse, the moon gets slightly darker but it is hard to see for the human eye. However, it can be measured with instruments. Earlier this year I photographed the partial penumbral lunar eclipse of the Buck Moon

The moon became officially full at 1:30 a.m. PST (0930 GMT) on November 30th. Moonrise was on Sunday, November 29th, 2020 at 4:35 p.m. PST. This was ideal to capture some of the landscape in the Bay Area as sunset wouldn’t be until 4:46 p.m. PST. At 11:29 p.m. PST, the moon will enter the penumbra and leave it at 3:56 a.m. PST.

Unfortunately, the time during the actual penumbral eclipse was too late for me to be up, as I had to start working early Monday morning. This would also mean that the moon would be higher in the night sky and it would be harder to have other interesting objects with the moon in the picture. Therefore I decided to photograph the moonrise and as sunset was only a few minutes later, I was also able to get an interesting sunset shot. 

Sunset in Foster City

I took these pictures in Foster City, CA near the San Mateo Bridge. A few people were walking on the part of the Bay Trail from where I took the photos. It was no problem to stay socially distant from other people. 

The next and last full moon of the year will be on December 29, 2020, and is called the Cold Moon. Be prepared for May 26, 2021, and mark the date for a total lunar eclipse which will be visible in all of the United States with the exception of Alaska. Some parts of Alaska won’t be able to observe the total lunar eclipse.

Astrophotography, California, Moon, San Francisco, USA
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