So far it’s been a year to look up to, with a magnificent Super Blood Moon lighting up our skies at the beginning of the year.
Then in March some of us were lucky enough to catch sight of another supermoon. Now we can look forward to another celestial treat which is set to happen on Good Friday.
A full Pink Moon is set to appear in our skies but don’t be fooled by the name.
Here’s what you need to know.
Pink moon in April
The annual Pink Moon is the fourth Full Moon of the year and always falls in the month of April.
The April moon is set to become full at 7:12 a.m. EST on Friday, April 19, which means it looked nearly full on Thursday night and completely full on Friday night, when Christians celebrate Good Friday and Jewish people start their Passover celebration.
For observers on the U.S. East Coast, the Pink Moon will rise at about 8 p.m. the evening of April 19 and set at around 7 a.m. the next morning, according to the U.S. Naval Observator.
Also, the good news is the Moon always appears full for at least two to three days around the peak.
Pink Moon meaning
The April Moon owes its unusual name to a type of pink American wildflower, which blooms around this time of the year.
Unfortunately, this means the Full Moon will not be turning a bright pink colour today.
A full moon occurs every 29.5 days so to recognize the time of year Native Americans gave the moon nicknames to keep track of the seasons and lunar months.
Blooms in spring
“Pink” refers to the pink ground phlox or “moss pink” plant that blooms in spring.
So just like a blue moon doesn’t look blue and a blood moon has nothing to do with blood this full moon won’t be pink.
The April full moon is also know by the names Fish Moon, Egg Moon, and Sprouting Grass Moon.
A full moon is often associated with strange behaviors, after all the words “lunacy” and “lunatic” come from the Latin word for moon which is Luna.
This may sound like something out of a story book but scientific studies have backed this theory up.
‘Bizarre results’
A study by the Criminal Justice Service concluded that the moon does not cause crime or madness, “but it is accurately indicated that the repression of the moon’s gravitational influence brings about social tension, disharmony, and bizarre results.”
If you don’t manage to get up in time to see this celestial sight then you should still be able to see it on Friday night too, according to AccuWeather.
Please share so everybody has a chance to dust off their binoculars and look to the skies!
