A special event can be witnessed again and what people only need to do is look up. This week, the Pink Moon is visible. However, viewers should not expect that the moon will actually turn pink, despite the name.
According to Space.com, April's full moon is only referred to as the Pink Moon as it was named after the pink flowers called wild ground phlox, which are known to bloom in early spring throughout the United States and Canada. It was given such name by Native American tribes a long time ago, who gave each full moon a name to reflect its time of appearance in a year. This was their way of keeping track of time.
This particular full moon is also quite significant because it is the "first full moon of spring in the Northern Hemisphere," as stated in the publication. It occurs only once a year. In the Southern Hemisphere, the first full moon of autumn is called the Hunter's Moon. Apart from Pink Moon, April's full moon is also sometimes called Egg Moon, Sprouting Grass Moon, and Fish Moon.
As per the report on Bustle, the moon reaches its peak fullness at 2:08 a.m. on Tuesday, April 11 in the East Coast, while those in the West Coast will get to see it earlier, at 11:08 p.m. the night before. Moon rise varies depending on the location. The Pink Moon, however, will remain to be visible to the naked eye through April 12. It is best viewed in places with minimal light pollution.
In other news, another sky event to look forward to is when Saturn becomes visible as the moon passes close to the planet on the night of April 16. According to Cornwall Live, Saturn will "pass within just three degrees of the moon." The best time for viewing will be during the early hours after midnight.
