It’s the first full Moon of Astronomical spring – here’s everything you need to know about April’s full Moon, from when it is, to why it’s called a ‘Pink Moon’.
The Full Moon is a captivating sight that has fascinated humanity for centuries. April’s Full Moon, also known as the Pink Moon, is set to grace the night sky tonight in all its luminous glory… if the clouds hold.
From pagan rituals to migrations, tides, and time itself, the Full Moon has been revered and studied for its (supposed) mystical powers and astronomical significance alike. In this article, we’ll delve deeper into April’s Full Moon, exploring the origin of the name, its significance, and whether the Moon will actually be pink.
For those who missed it, you can check out our fantastic gallery of the best pictures from the Spring Equinox 2023. If you’re looking forward to clear nights this year, why not plan ahead with our full Moon UK calendar and astronomy for beginners guide?
When can I see the Pink Moon 2023?
The Pink Moon can be seen rising on the evening of 5 April 2023 in the UK and around the world.
On Wednesday 5 April, from London, the Pink Moon will rise at 6:59pm from the east and set at 6:40am the next morning in the west.
The Pink Moon will reach peak illumination at 4:34am UT/ 5:34 BST on the morning of 6 April. As the Sun rises at 6:25am on the 6 April, this means that the Moon will be low on the horizon, in the pre-dawn sky when it reaches syzygy. Syzygy – a roughly straight-line configuration of the Moon, Earth, and Sun – only occurs for a moment, when the Moon is directly opposite the Sun, with the Earth in the middle.
The best time to see the Pink Moon will be early in the morning of 6 April before the Moon sinks below the horizon, and before the Sun rises, or the previous evening on 5 April.
If you are unable to see the Pink Moon at its peak, it will also appear full tonight.
When can I see the Pink Moon in the US?
The Pink Moon will be visible across the United States, but the exact timing of moonrise and moonset will depend on your location. You can check the moonrise and moonset times for your specific location using a moon phase calendar, or an astronomy app that provides this information. Keep in mind that the moon may appear larger and brighter when it is near the horizon, so it can be a particularly stunning sight during moonrise or moonset.
- In eastern US, the Pink Moon will appear fullest at 12:24am ET (just after midnight) on 6 April.
- In western US, the Pink Moon will appear fullest at 9:34pm PT on 5 April.
What constellation will the Pink Moon be in 2023?
On the morning of 6 April, the Moon will be in the constellation Virgo, midway between its brightest star Spica, and Porrima, a binary star. The Moon spends around two to three days in each of the zodiac constellations, as it progresses through its lunar cycle.
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Earlier in the month, on 2 April, the waxing gibbous Moon was 4.6 degrees north of Regulus, the brightest star in the constellation Leo. On 6 April, just after full, it will be 3.3 degrees north of Spica, and then by 10 April, it will be 1.5 degrees north of Antares – the brightest star in Scorpio – in the morning sky.
On 16 April, the Moon will pass around 3.5 degrees south of Saturn, then skim past Jupiter by just 0.1 degrees on 19 April.
Why is it called the Pink Moon?
The name Pink Moon is thought to derive from pink flowers which start to bloom around this time, in particular, Phlox subulata.
Phlox is a herbaceous native to eastern North America (with the exception of a single species native to north-eastern Asia), and it’s thought that the name Pink Moon originates from the 1930s when the Maine Farmer’s Almanac began publishing names for each full Moon in the year. Since then, these names have gained popularity and are now commonly used around the world.
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If the Pink Moon falls early enough in the month, as it does this year, you might also be able to catch it against a backdrop of cherry blossoms as they make their brief appearance.
Other names for the Pink Moon
This year, the April full Moon can also be called the Paschal Full Moon, but that’s not always the case, as it can sometimes be attributed to the March full Moon. The Paschal Full Moon is the first full Moon after the spring equinox.
And this is down to how Easter – a moveable Christian holiday – is determined. Traditionally, Easter is the first Sunday after the full Moon, following the spring equinox. The spring equinox in 2023 fell on 20 March, before the full Moon in the early morning of 6 April (the previous full Moon was too early – the Worm Moon, on 7 March).
The name ‘paschal’ originally derives from the Hebrew word, pesach, which became the Greek word pascha. We know it as Passover, an important festival in the Jewish calendar.
Other names for the Pink Moon include the Sprouting Green Moon, Fish Moon or Hare Moon.
Will the Pink Moon actually be pink?
As cool as that would be, unfortunately – no.
As the nearly-full Moon rises again this evening tonight (appearing fullest at 04:34 UT/ 05:34 BST on the morning of the 6 April), if we are afforded a good view and the clouds hold, the Moon might appear with a yellow or orange hue, when it’s still low on the horizon. Look out just after moonrise, at 8:15pm BST in the evening of 6 April, in the east-southeast.
But this effect is not specific to the Pink Moon. When the Moon is low in the sky, the light has a longer distance to travel, so the shorter wavelengths of light are scattered – these are the violets and blues. The longer, redder wavelengths remain (red being the colour of visible light with the longest wavelength), and the Moon takes on a more yellowy-orange colour when it’s nearer the horizon.
If there is more dust (or pollution) in the air, then this can make the Moon look redder still. In 2017, the ex-hurricane Storm Ophelia dragged in tropical air and dust from the Sahara, which combined with debris from forest fires in Spain and Portugal to give us the impression of sunset at midday, here in the UK. A similar effect happened in March 2022, when a plume of Saharan dust turned the skies orange.
Is the Pink Moon in 2023 a supermoon?
No, April’s full Moon, the Pink Moon in 2023 is not a supermoon.
A supermoon is an unofficial classification for when the Moon is situated 360,000km (or less) away from Earth in its orbital path around us, and we’ll often have two or three full supermoons in a row.
At peak illumination, the Pink Moon in 2023 is around 389,896 km away from the Earth, so falls slightly short of the supermoon category.
The first supermoon of 2023 will be 1 August, with a rare blue supermoon at the end of the month, on 31 August. The July (361,934km) and September (361,552km) Moons come pretty close, so although will appear bigger and brighter to us – are slightly over the 360,000km distance. That being said, when taking into account the preceding or succeeding apogee and perigee, the July and September Moons do classify as a supermoon.
In 2022, the Strawberry Moon (June), the Buck Moon (July) and the Sturgeon Moon (August) were all supermoons.
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Why do we get a full Moon?
A full Moon is the lunar phase where the Moon appears fully illuminated from our point of view. It’s one part of the lunar cycle, the continuous series of apparent changes the Moon undergoes as it orbits the Earth. The phases of the lunar cycle include New Moon, Waxing Crescent, First Quarter, Waxing Gibbous, Full Moon, Waning Gibbous, Third Quarter, and Waning Crescent.
The lunar cycle is around 29.53 days long, which is why the term ‘lunar month’ is often used to describe the time period between successive full moons. This is also sometimes referred to as one ‘synodic month’.
A full Moon occurs when the Moon is fully illuminated by the Sun, which happens when the Earth is positioned directly between the Sun and the Moon, all three in a straight line.
In other words, the Moon is located precisely 180 degrees opposite the Sun in ecliptic longitude. We usually have 12 full Moons in one calendar year, although some years we can have 13. The extra full Moon is known as a ‘Blue Moon’ – and we have one this year, 31 August 2023.
Read more:
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- If we colonise the Moon, will the colonists experience night and day?
- New Moon March 2023: All you need to know about the spring supermoon