The best places in Wales to see the last supermoon of 2024

The fourth and final supermoon of the year is set to rise in the sky this week – but where are the best places in Wales to see it?

A supermoon occurs when a full moon is at its closest point to Earth in its orbit becoming completely illuminated by the sun without any shadow from our planet falling on it.

November’s supermoon is called a ‘Beaver moon’ and is sometimes known as the ‘Frost Moon’.

The name is thought to originate from native North Americans and coincides with the time of year beavers would retreat to their lodges for the winter.

The Beaver Moon will be visible in Welsh skies on Friday (November 15) reaching its peak at around 9:25pm appearing larger and brighter than normal.

Rural

While the stars can be seen from just about anywhere in Wales, the best sites for astronomical events are usually rural, dark sky locations away from urban life.

A study by outdoor experts Millets has listed the best moon-spotting regions in the country based on areas with the lowest light pollution.

When stargazing, choosing a dark location away from artificial brightness and city lights is ideal for witnessing astronomical events like equinoxes, solstices, meteor showers, eclipses and supermoons.

Dark skies

The market town of Neath in Port Talbot was hailed the optimal Welsh location for witnessing astronomical events, thanks to its dark skies and low air quality index (AQI).

The town is the second darkest of all locations Millets looked at, second only to Llanelli which received 9.72 out of 10 for sky watching quality.

Merthyr Tydfil came in at number three on the list closely follow by Wrexham which boasts low levels of light pollution and a low air quality index.

People in Barry, Bridgend, and Caerphilly will also enjoy good views of the Beaver Moon provided the weather is set fair.

Newport, Cardiff and Swansea sit at the lower end of the top ten list with darkness significantly impacting stargazing opportunities more than smog and particulate matter in the air.

The weather in Wales on Friday is expected to be cloudy with a chance of mist, fog and drizzly rain in places.

For good views, stargazers are advised to get up high facing the east during twilight shortly after the sun sets in the west.

As the moon makes its way above the horizon it may appear tinged a rusty red colour and will look bigger to the naked eye.