Get ready for the most colorful Full Moon of the year — though only in name.
April’s Pink Moon won’t actually be pink, but it will be a bright, spectacular sight. In the early morning hours of April 6, the golden orb will rise in the sky to welcome the start of Spring and several holidays that fall during the season.
Here’s how to see it, and why April’s full Moon is significant in many cultures.
What is the Pink Moon?
Guides like the Old Farmer’s Almanac, which has been published since the late 1700s, recorded traditional Moon names used by Native American tribes, as well as European settlers.
According to the almanac, the Pink Moon gets its name from the herb Phlox subulata. It’s also known as moss phlox or moss pink, and sprouts bright flowers across eastern North America this time of year. Named after these plants, the Full Moon is an homage to springtime, a season of growth.
But the Pink Moon isn’t the only name given to April’s Full Moon. Many traditional names reflect other themes in nature, or mark the start of important holidays.
In North America, different Native American tribes had a wide variety of names for April’s Full Moon. It’s called the Little Frog Moon (Omaha), Moon of the Big Leaves (Apache), and the Goose Moon (Ojibwe), for starters.
And around the world, April’s Full Moon helps mark the start of a few significant holidays. As the first Full Moon after the Spring equinox, it’s also called the Pesach or Paschal Moon, which dictates when Passover and Easter are celebrated. Passover begins in the evening when the Moon rises, and Easter typically falls on the following Sunday.
Full Moon holidays are common in many religions and cultures, since lunar calendars are used around the world. In April, the Full Moon marks the Hindu festival Hanuman Jayanti, and Buddhists in Sri Lanka will celebrate the holiday Bak Poya. The Full Moon also rises around the halfway point of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.
How to see the April 2023 Full Moon
Step outside at 12:35 am EST on April 6 to catch a glimpse of the Moon at its fullest. You should be able to see the Moon before that point, and to the naked eye it will actually appear full earlier in the week.
The Moon will look full for three days, from the evening of April 4 to the morning of April 7. Keep an eye out for the bright star Spica, which will also be near the Moon.
When is the next Full Moon?
May 5 is the next date that a full Moon will rise. This one is sometimes called the Flower Moon — marking the time of year when everything is in bloom.
In the meantime, the next New Moon will fall on April 20. The darkened skies present a perfect viewing opportunity to see the Lyrid Meteor Shower peak just a few days after on April 22-23.
