Ireland will see the next full moon, the Beaver Moon, reach its peak on Wednesday 5 November.

In Dublin the moon is expected to rise at 16:10 (4:10 pm) and set at 07:36 (7:36 am) the following morning.

This full moon coincides with perigee, the point in the Moon’s orbit when it is closest to Earth. At perigee this year the Moon will be about 356,830 kilometres from Earth’s centre. By contrast at apogee, its most distant point, the Moon can be more than 406,690 kilometres away this year.

Because of this proximity the Moon may appear slightly larger and brighter than usual. Skywatchers may see more detail on the lunar surface, including craters and mountain ranges, especially through binoculars or a small telescope.

The name Beaver Moon comes from North American tradition when November was regarded as the time to set beaver traps before rivers froze. Although it is not part of Irish folklore, the name is widely used in modern almanacs to describe the last full moon of autumn.

Observers across Ireland should look east at sunset to catch the moonrise. Generally unsettled conditions next week could result in extensive cloud cover. The GFS cloud cover forecast is available here.