The Full Moon from April, nicknamed “Pink Moon” or “Pascal Moon”, will appear spectacular in the sky on Saturday evening, April 12, accompanied by Spica, one of the most bright stars on the heavenly vault
Full Moon Pink Photo: Profimedia
It is the first full month of spring in the northern hemisphere and will reach the maximum lighting phase at 03:22 (Romania time) on the night of 12 to 13 April. The moon will rise from the east to sunset and shine in the sky all night, setting west at dawn. If you miss it on Saturday, you can see it as well on Sunday, reports Live Science.
Despite his name, the pink moon usually does not have a pink color. The name comes from the flowering of the spring Flox Flower (known as “pink muscle”), a plant originating in Eastern North America, according to The Old Fermer’s Almanac.
Although the moon can be admired in any phase, the ideal time to observe the full moon is when it rises or sets. Located “down” in the sky, the light of the moon passes through a thicker layer of the Earth’s atmosphere, which gives it a warm, yellowish or orange hue, similar to the shades of the west. This color appears because the atmosphere spreads the blue light and lets pass the red light, with a larger wavelength.
This full month also bears the name of “Pascal Moon”, being used to calculate the date of Easter every year. The Full Moon from April comes with an extra spectacularity: it will be accompanied in the sky by Spica, the brightest star in the Virgin’s constellation (Virgo).
The exact position of the Star in relation to the moon varies according to the place on the globe from which you notice the sky. Thus, from Europe, Steaua will be located at the bottom. Because the moon will already be up in the sky at sunset, the best visibility will be on the night of April 13. From North America, the spica will appear on the left of the Moon, and from South America, the moon will completely cover the spica in a phenomenon called occultation.
Unlike a “superlan”, the pink moon will look smaller in the sky. This is because on April 12, the Moon will be close to the peak, the most distant point of the earth in its elliptical orbit. The next full moon, called “Flower Moon”, will take place on May 12, 2025.
