Clue: It’s not the Moon that’s pink.
Known as the Pink Moon, April’s full Moon will rise on the evening of 5 April, peaking at about 5:30am BST on 6 April. However (spoiler alert) it won’t actually look pink in the night sky. So where did that nickname come from?
Answer: the Pink Moon gets its name from the colour of flowers that spring up at this time of year. Specifically, native American groups are thought to have named it after the moss-pink wildflower which blooms in shades of dusty pink.
According to Dr Chris North from the School of Physics and Astronomy at Cardiff University, it’s little wonder past peoples gave names to specific full Moons.
“Since humans first looked up at the sky, they have been fascinated by the Moon and other celestial objects,” he says.
“Predictions of the Moon’s movement across the sky were important for things like hunting, harvesting and travelling in the absence of artificial lighting.”
The Maine Farmer’s Almanac began publishing full Moon names in the 1930s, which is when the name Pink Moon entered a wider cultural vernacular.
However, as space historian Osnat Katz tells BBC Science Focus, “different cultures around the world have had different names for the full Moons long before the almanac started publishing name lists.”
Other Native American names for this Moon include the Sprouting Grass Moon, the Egg Moon, and the Fish Moon.
In the Christian calendar, April’s full Moon, also known as the Paschal Moon, signals the coming of Easter. The Moon is known as Pesach or Passover Moon in Judaism, and Bak Poya in Buddhism.
In Hinduism, the April full Moon falls in the lunar month of Chaitra and is roughly halfway through Ramadan in the Islamic calendar.
The next full moon is popularly known as the Flower Moon and will rise on the 5 May.
About our experts
Dr Chris North is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Physics and Astronomy at Cardiff University. His scientific research focuses on data visualisation, primarily using astronomy data and he works with the Gravity Exploration Institute.
Osnat Katz is a PhD student currently researching the history of British space science. She studies at University College London and the Science Museum.
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