The Pink Moon, technically known as the Full Flower Moon, comes around every spring—but how much do you really know about it? While some people seem to believe it’s just an odd name for the full moon in April, there are actually some pretty cool facts about the Pink Moon that make it more than worth paying attention to. Here are three interesting things you might not have known about this uniquely named annual phenomenon.
The History Behind it
The pink moon was first used in print by Thomas Fuller, in his 1653 book A Pisgah-sight of Palestine, and the Confines Thereof. It appears only once in his work There hath been several times a year when there hath been no Moon seen for many days together; as after new Moons, or at full Moons, either before or after the season; but now it hath been so long since that we had any appearance of one for many months together. In other words: The moon has disappeared from our sky for an extended period of time—we haven’t seen it in months! The Science Behind it: The Earth’s orbit around the sun is not perfectly circular. Instead, its oval shape causes different amounts of sunlight to fall on different parts of our planet throughout each year. This means that during some parts of our orbit, we are closer to the Sun than others. When we are closest (aka perihelion), we receive about 7 percent more solar energy than when we are farthest away (aka aphelion). So how does this relate to seeing a pink moon?
Why you Should Celebrate It
The Pink in Pink Moon refers to pink-colored wildflowers that are blooming around Easter, but it’s also more about symbolizing rebirth. The spring equinox marks a time when both day and night are equal length—and because most mammals give birth around that time, it’s believed to be a time of new beginnings. It’s also called Egg Moon or Fish Moon, as fish swim upstream at that time of year. Finally, some people say it’s called Pink Moon because there was once a Native American tribe who painted their faces with clay for ceremonies on that date. But, no matter how you choose to celebrate it, make sure you mark your calendar so you don’t miss one of nature’s great celebrations! Bible Verse: John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Luke 2:8–14 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christthe Lord!
How to Celebrate It
The next full moon after April 26 will be on May 24. That doesn’t seem all that different from any other full moon, but it actually marks one of two moons each year that has a special name: Pink Moon and Flower Moon. The other full moon with an official moniker is Harvest Moon. There are also several unofficial names for specific full moons throughout the year. For example, there’s often a Full Strawberry Moon in June (the peak time for strawberry harvesting). Some people also call October’s Full Hunter’s Moon or November’s Full Beaver Moon (depending on where you live) because they correspond to hunting season or fall beaver trapping seasons in some areas. But why do we have so many names for full moons? And what do they mean? Let’s take a look at these colorful monikers.
Each month has only one full moon — when Earth’s satellite is completely opposite our planet in its orbit around the sun. But within that month, astronomers sometimes observe two additional mini-moons, called new moons or dark moons. These are not actual lunar phases — they are simply times when there is no illumination from our natural satellite.
Best Time to Look for One
The best time to look for a pink moon is in November. The exact date can vary slightly from year to year, but most often you’ll find it near the middle of November. (And, no, your eyes aren’t playing tricks on you: that glowing orb low in your eastern sky at sunset really does turn pink.) So what causes such a phenomenon? It all has to do with light and how our atmosphere bends it. When sunlight passes through our atmosphere, it gets scattered by particles like dust and water droplets. This results in an effect called Rayleigh scattering, which makes things appear pinkish-red when they would otherwise appear blue or violet…and gives us sunsets! But if you live in northern latitudes, don’t despair; sometimes even if you don’t see a pink moon, there will be enough other atmospheric conditions present to give you a beautiful display of reddened skies around sunset—hence why it was once called blood moons. If you live farther south, however, and want to see one for yourself, check out these dates: Nov. 5th (in 2017), Nov. 3rd (in 2018), Nov.
Steps on How to Observe it
Tonight is going to be a Pink Moon. The term for such moons comes from Native Americans, who named them after noticing how they turned pink or rose-colored as they appeared over earth’s horizon. Here are some fun facts about observing Pink Moons.
1. They don’t occur all that often: Pink Moons aren’t exactly rare, but you might not see one in your lifetime if you live in an urban area. It takes 18 years for three full cycles of moonrises and sunsets to take place.
2. There are other types of moons: There are actually four other kinds of moons besides Blue Moons, which only happen once every two and a half years. These include Black Moons (two months with no full moon), Snow Moons (named for their heavy snowfall), Worm Moons (named for their abundance of night crawlers) and Strawberry Moons (when strawberries ripen).
3. There’s something special about tonight’s moon: Since we haven’t had a full moon since September, tonight will mark our first Pink Full Moon since May 2015. That means it will be high in the sky at sunset and set around sunrise—perfect timing for viewing.
4. Keep your eyes peeled: If you miss tonight, there won’t be another Pink Full Moon until 2026! 5. How do I view it?
