What Is Pink Moon? Here's Everything You Need To Know
Big news for lunar lovers as April is here to witness the much-awaited Pink Moon. Spoiler alert! Despite the name, the moon, however, will not appear in pink in colour but will have a white golden hue. According to a NASA planetary scientist, skygazers can observe the micromoon as the celestial object is at the farthest point from Earth along its orbital path.
In April, as the moon is found farthest from the Earth, the phenomenon is known as a “micromoon”. Now why is it called the Pink Moon? According to Farmer’s Almanac, the name is derived from the early spring bloom of a North American wildflower called Phlox subulata, which is commonly known as moss phlox.
This flower, often referred to as ‘moss pink’, was in full bloom around April’s full moon. While some of the Native American tribes have also named this moon after the arrival of spring foliage. The Tlingit described it as the budding moon of plants and shrubs, the Cherokee called it the Flower Moon, and the Apache referred to it as the Moon of the Big Leaves, according to Western Washington University’s site.
Following the Pink Moon event, there are eight more full moons to look out for this year and each is known by its own unique name. And here are the names of each moon:
• May 12: Flower Moon
• June 11: Strawberry Moon
• July 10: Buck Moon
• August 9: Sturgeon Moon
• September 7: Corn Moon
• October 6: Harvest Moon
• November 5: Beaver Moon
• December 4: Cold Moon
The enchanting Pink Moon will be visible in India on the morning of Sunday, while it is expected to peak around 8:22 PM on Saturday. Moreover, anyone wishing to witness this celestial beauty does not need any special equipment.
