We are currently in the middle of a miniseries of supermoons – the full moons of March, April, and May swing closer in their elliptical orbit to Earth (known as perigee), making them appear larger and brighter. But of the three, April's full moon will be the one that comes closest to our home planet, and it will be the closest full moon for the entire year. She will pass by a mere 221,772 miles away; for context, at its farthest point this year, which happened in March, the moon was 252,707 miles away.
Why it is called the Pink Moon
Unfortunately, despite its rosy name, the full Pink Moon will be its normal golden wan self. However, the name does have a poetic origin. Many early Native American tribes kept tabs on time by naming full moons rather than the calendar months as we know them. And since the moons helped keep track of the seasons, their names generally aligned with nature. In the case of April, the pink full moon ushered in the arrival of creeping phlox (Phlox subulate) and its early waves of pink.
Full moon names varied from tribe to tribe, others for April include the Sprouting Grass Moon, the Egg Moon, and the Fish Moon.
It will be lovely from sunset to sunrise
The (not so) blushing beauty will be visible toward the east after sunset on April 7, and will reach peak illumination at 10:35 P.M. EDT. It will be at its highest around midnight, and will then begin slinking back down to set in the west around sunrise on April 8. Because of the “moon illusion,” it will look especially large when it is close to the horizon. (...)
Some may complain that we supermoon superfans like to make a big deal over nothing. At its largest, a supermoon appears 14 percent larger in diameter than the smallest full moon. As for the illumination factor, its brightness can increase up to 30 percent. So it may not be enormous and as bright as the sun, but I think there’s something lovely about knowing that Earth’s only natural satellite is just a bit closer to the mothership. And anytime anyone has a chance to look up in the sky and marvel at its wonders – well I would say that’s cause for celebration.
Why it is called the Pink Moon
Unfortunately, despite its rosy name, the full Pink Moon will be its normal golden wan self. However, the name does have a poetic origin. Many early Native American tribes kept tabs on time by naming full moons rather than the calendar months as we know them. And since the moons helped keep track of the seasons, their names generally aligned with nature. In the case of April, the pink full moon ushered in the arrival of creeping phlox (Phlox subulate) and its early waves of pink.Full moon names varied from tribe to tribe, others for April include the Sprouting Grass Moon, the Egg Moon, and the Fish Moon.
It will be lovely from sunset to sunrise
The (not so) blushing beauty will be visible toward the east after sunset on April 7, and will reach peak illumination at 10:35 P.M. EDT. It will be at its highest around midnight, and will then begin slinking back down to set in the west around sunrise on April 8. Because of the “moon illusion,” it will look especially large when it is close to the horizon. (...)
Some may complain that we supermoon superfans like to make a big deal over nothing. At its largest, a supermoon appears 14 percent larger in diameter than the smallest full moon. As for the illumination factor, its brightness can increase up to 30 percent. So it may not be enormous and as bright as the sun, but I think there’s something lovely about knowing that Earth’s only natural satellite is just a bit closer to the mothership. And anytime anyone has a chance to look up in the sky and marvel at its wonders – well I would say that’s cause for celebration.
by Melissa Breyer, TreeHugger | Read more:
Image: NASA
