There are so many amazing things to see in the night sky over the 705. This week, look up for The Pink Moon.
The name is a little misleading. It’s not named for its colour, but for a pink moss that blooms in the US Northeast during the spring. According to Canada’s The Weather Network, at exactly 7:49 p.m. EDT on Tuesday night, the Moon will be on the exact opposite side of Earth from the Sun, marking the moment of April’s Full Moon. However, Nasa experts say the Moon appears full for roughly 3 days time, from Monday morning through Thursday morning.
According to space.com, Look to the east shortly after sunset to see the full moon rise above the horizon. The moon will be in the Virgo constellation and will have most of the night to itself while the planets are situated on the other side of Earth. That’s great news for skywatchers because the full moon’s brightness makes spotting other cosmic targets quite difficult when they are above us.
The History of The Pink Moon
Each Full Moon of the year goes by various names, first written down for the Farmer’s Almanac close to a century ago. The most common name of the April Full Moon is the Pink Moon – which is inspired by Colonial and European folklore, as well as the lunar calendars of First Nations peoples living in the US Northeast.
There are several other names used by indigenous people for the April Full Moon, including Breaking Ice Moon (Algonquin), Broken Snowshoe Moon (Anishinaabe), Budding Moon of Plants and Shrubs (Tlingit), Frog Moon (Cree), Moon of the Red Grass Appearing (Oglala), Moon When the Ducks Come Back (Lakota), Moon When the Geese Lay Eggs (Dakota), Moon When the Streams are Again Navigable (Dakota), Sucker Moon (Anishinaabe), and Sugar Maker Moon (Western Abenaki). Other names the Sprouting Grass Moon, Egg Moon and Fish Moon.
Many cultures pay homage to The Pink Moon. It is the Passover or Pesach Moon in the Hebrew calendar, with Passover beginning at sunset on Monday, April 22. For many Hindus, this Full Moon marks the Hanuman Jayanti festival celebrating the birth of the Hindu deity Hanuman. In Sri Lanka, Buddhists celebrate Bak Poya (or Bak Pura Pasaloswaka Poya Day) on this night. This celebration commemorates the Buddha’s second visit and the peace that he brought to the island by settling a dispute that threatened to cause a war between two feuding factions of the community.
If you’re disappointed and want to see an actual pink moon in the sky, there is a slight chance that it will take on a rosy hue if the conditions are just right. This phenomenon is known as the Belt of Venus – and it’s not limited to the month of April. The Belt of Venus can appear on any night of the year, usually during clear, calm weather. It shows up as a band of pink sky stretched along the eastern horizon just after the Sun has set in the west. This colour is caused by tiny particles in the air, such as dust and pollen, scattering back the colours of the sunset. As the evening progresses, the pink hue often becomes separated from the horizon by a dark blue-grey band, as Earth’s shadow is cast upon the same particles in the atmosphere. For early birds, the Belt of Venus can also appear in the pre-dawn sky. Therefore, there’s a chance of catching this Full Moon turning pink just before it sets Wednesday morning.
Unfortunately, the peak of the Lyrid meteor shower also happens to coincide with the full moon this year, making this a bad year for Lyrid-lovers. If you missed our article about the Lyrid meteor shower, you can check it out here.
