The April full moon, also known as the pink moon, rises tonight (April 5), and will be visible in its full glory all night long. Worldwide, the pink moon will rise at dusk and set around dawn, meaning it will be visible for most of the night.
In the Sky gives exact times when skywatchers can see the full moon, rising on Wednesday at 19:01 EST (2301 GMT) and peaking at 00:34 EST (0434 GMT) before arriving on Thursday at 06:49 EST (1049 GMT). If clouds spoil your view, you can watch the April 2023 Full Pink Moon live online here, Courtesy of the Virtual Telescope Project (Opens in a new tab) in Ceccano, Italy, starting from 1:30 a.m. EST (0530 GMT) on April 6.
After the pink full moon phase when the moon is fully lit, the portion of the moon’s face lit by the sun will begin to recede, a process astronomers call waning. This will lead to the next completely dark moon, or new moon phase, on April 20th according to time and date. This point also marks the beginning of the next lunar cycle and the point at which the sun’s illumination again begins to creep back across the moon’s face, with this increased illumination known as “waxing”.
Related: The night sky, April 2023: What you can see tonight
At the beginning of a new moon, this dimming will not be the only change the moon will undergo. After the Pink Moon and after April 6th, the Moon will rise 1 hour later each day and become predominant later on each subsequent night. By the time it’s half light, during its last-quarter phase on April 13, it will rise at midnight and start around midday. Later, during the new moon phase, it will rise and set at about the same time the sunWhich moon is absent at night.
The moon will not actually be pink during a pink moon
While sky watchers will be given a wonderful opportunity to see the beauty of the full moon lit during a pink moon, one sight they are unlikely to see is the full moon lit pink.
This is because, according to farm calendarPink Moon’s nickname is purely metaphorical in nature. The name actually refers to the fact that the April full moon is associated with the spring bloom of a pink wildflower called Phlox subulata, Also known as “pink moss”. The month of April Pink Moon takes its name from this springtime association that originates from Native American culture like many others Badr names.
Alternative full moon names for April also have strong seasonal associations. The Tlingit and Oglala people refer to this full moon as the “rising moon of plants and shrubs” and the “rising red grass moon” respectively, as these names also refer to the flourishing of plant life. Other seasonal names refer to other spring phenomena that would have been important to Native Americans such as the thawing of winter snow allowing for increased movement. The Algonquin people refer to the April full moon as the “broken ice moon” and the Dakota tradition calls it “the moon when streams become navigable again.”
If you want to catch a glimpse of this pink moon, our guides to The best telescopes And best binoculars It’s also a great place to start. If you’re looking to take pictures of the night sky in general, check out our guide on How to visualize the moonAnd so do we The best cameras for astrophotography And The best lenses for astrophotography.
Would you like to take a more in-depth moonlight tour of our rocky companion? our The Ultimate Guide to Observing the Moon Whether it’s exploring lunar seas, mountainous terrain, or the many craters that cover the landscape, it will help you plan your next skywatching project. You can also find out where astronauts, rovers and landers have ventured with us Apollo Landing Site Observation Handbook.
Editor’s note: If you took a photo of the pink moon and would like to share it with Space.com readers, send your photo(s), comments, name, and location to [email protected].
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