The Pink Moon is rising this month, signifying the beginning of springtime! Don’t miss this beautiful display!
In the night sky, there are many wonders to behold. Stars sprinkle across the raven sky, deep within the universe and appearing so close as to be caught by our grasping hands. As does the moon, a sentinel which lights and guides every single night back into day. It’s all a glorious sight.
This month, there’s a special treat, however, a much more magnificent splendor. This is the month of the pink moon!
What is the pink moon?
When you look into the sky, on April 11, 2017, you will not see a bright pink moon, no, this is not what’s meant by this moniker. The pink moon is a name given by Native Americans symbolizing the first pink flowers of spring, the ground phlox. Ever year, about this time, pink and red flowers dapple the warming earth in both Canada and the U.S.
The connection between the phlox and the seasons once provided a calendar for native tribes. Other names for the pink moon are sprouting moon, fish moon, and egg moon – all symbolizing spring.
Likewise, every season’s full moon has a name like this one, such as the blue moon, which signifies the coming of winter. The Old Farmer’s Almanac now uses the term pink moon as a standard way of heralding spring. What’s more, the April full moon represents important changes of the year for many cultures, including the Jewish (Passover), Islam (Badr) and Christian (Easter) cultures.
What is a full moon?
There are many phases of the moon, depending on its location in the night sky. A full moon occurs once a month, basically, about every 29 days. It happens when the moon is fully illuminated by the sun and facing the earth.
It’s not really bigger, it just appears that way because of this full illumination. Different locations see the full moon at various times of the night, sometimes even during the day.
When can we expect to see this beauty?
After most establishments close on the east coast of the United States, on Tuesday, April 11, 2017, the pink moon will be easiest to see. This means the full pink moon will reach its fullest and most brilliant beauty right after 11 p.m. on the west coast of the U.S.
But you don’t have to be in these areas to catch a glimpse of this spectacle. Between April 10th and 12th, the moon will appear just as full and just ravishing.
Don’t miss your chance to see the Full Pink moon
The universe is always miraculous and giving us something to gaze at. Keep in mind, however, this is the only chance this year to see the pink moon – an intriguing symbol of growth, fertility, and new life.
To get a better picture of where and when you can see the moon at its fullest, check out locations with moonrise and set calculators. So, get out your telescopes and binoculars, take a gander, not only at the full aspect of the moon but the magnificent craters and imperfections that make this lunar body beautiful! You don’t want to miss it!
Hi! Great post! Even tho the history about the “Pink Moon”, it’s etiology, the meaning that spring started and believes towards glancing at this beautiful spectacle, might be correct. None the less, here at Puerto Rico, on Thursday 15 of April we were honored to see this event and the moon did have a pinkish color on that day and in other passed times that it has occurred. Therefore, “Pink Moon” is a moniker because you can really see a slight reddish pink color on the light the moon reflects. And I know it’s really not the moon changing colors, also it depends on the location you are at when this event occurs. But to the human eye the moon does bright with a pink color on this day. Thank! Maybe I misread or misinterpret what is written about not seeing a pink moon… If so, my apologies. Good luck and keep at it, great post and information on this era were knowledge it’s rare and/or subtituded with materialism and ignorance.
Thank you for your comment, Angel. I hope all is well in Puerto Rico! I hope this next great moon, that I get a chance to capture images. 🙂