The Easter bunny isn’t the only one delivering giant pink surprises this year—Mother Nature has a special delivery, too. On Tuesday, April 7, the night sky will play host to the Super Pink Moon—the biggest and brightest moon of the year.
While the name “Super Pink Moon” seems to imply that we will be seeing a giant Easter egg hanging in the sky, sadly, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, the name has nothing to do with its color. Instead the first full moon of April is called the Pink Moon because it corresponds with the pink blooms of ground phlox, one of the early spring flowers that is native to North America. If you’re not into pink, the moon has also been called the Sprouting Grass Moon, the Egg Moon, and even the Fish Moon.
That’s not the only reason that April’s full Moon is special. It’s the first to occur after the March equinox, which makes it the Paschal Full Moon that determines the date of Easter. The Old Farmer’s Almanac has a good explanation of that here.
This year, April’s full moon is also the first supermoon of the year. Supermoons happen when the full moon coincides with the lunar perigree, which is when the moon reaches its closest point to Earth during its monthly orbit, according to Space.com. Supermoons make the moon appear a little brighter and closer than normal. Since April’s supermoon coincides with the Pink Moon, it has earned the moniker, Super Pink Moon, and should be the biggest and brightest full moon of 2020.
While the moon won’t be pink when it rises, skywatchers will be able to see a golden hue as the moon rises after sunset. It will resume its traditional bright white color as it reaches peak illumination at 10:35 p.m., EDT, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac. While the Super Pink Moon is a one-night only affair, it will appear full for a few days after.
