On April 6, the Full Pink Moon will occur. Apart from the intriguing name, it’s just one of the most beautiful and easy-to-observe sky events. The nights are getting warmer in the Northern Hemisphere, so take your time walking under the Full Moon, but first, read our article to learn interesting and useful facts about it.
Is the Pink Moon actually pink?
Surely it is if you look at it through rose-colored glasses. In reality, though, this name was given to the April Full Moon by native Americans to represent the color of the wild ground phlox. The phlox is one of the earliest flowers to bloom this month. No matter the color, walking under the Full Moon and enjoying the first spring flowers is a wonderful experience!
By the way, the Moon does appear in a spectrum of colors in visual and metaphorical senses. Take our quiz to learn more about the colors of the Moon!
April Full Moon alternative names
This year, April’s Full Moon is also the Paschal Full Moon (which is the first Full Moon after the March equinox). The Christian holiday Easter occurs on the Sunday following the Paschal Full Moon. In 2023, both events are especially close because Easter Sunday will fall on April 9.
Here are other names attributed to the April Full Moon in different cultures:
- Chinese: Peony Moon
- Celtic: Growing Moon
- Wiccan: Seed Moon
- Cherokee: Flower Moon
- Southern Hemisphere: Harvest Moon, Hunter’s Moon
When is the Full Moon in April 2023?
This month, the Moon will reach its full phase on April 6 at 04:34 GMT (12:34 a.m. EDT). It will be shining at a magnitude of -12.4 in the constellation Virgo. At this moment, it will be exactly 180 degrees opposite the Sun in celestial longitude.
What is the bright dot next to the Moon tonight?
On April 5, the night before the Full Moon, our natural satellite will pass near the star Tejat (magnitude 2.9) in the constellation Gemini. On April 6, during its full phase, the Moon will be in the constellation Virgo, near its brightest star, Spica (magnitude 1.0). Learn more about bright objects in the sky near the Moon this month in our article about April night sky. By the way, the bright dot near the Moon could easily be a planet, not a star! Find out which planets will soon be passing close to the Moon in our dedicated article.
How long does a Full Moon last?
Don’t worry if you miss the exact moment of the Full Moon. For the observer, it will look full for several days around April 6 and will be visible with good weather all night long. The Moon tab in the Sky Tonight calendar allows you to see what the Moon will look like in your sky in advance. Along with the Moon’s age, phase, and illumination, this tab shows the position of the shadow on the Moon as seen from your chosen location. Our natural satellite’s size there also changes in accordance with the apparent size of the “real” Moon in the sky.
When is the next Full Moon?
The next Full Moon will be on May 5; it’s commonly called the Flower Blood Moon. It will be a rare event when the Full Moon coincides with the total lunar eclipse, hence the prefix “blood”. You won’t miss the event with notifications from our stargazing app Sky Tonight. It’s an essential tool for amateur and professional stargazers who want to be up-to-date with astronomy news and be always able to easily locate any star, planet, constellation, or artificial satellite.
When is the next Pink Moon?
The Pink Moon is the Full Moon that occurs in April, so the next one will take place next year, on April 23, 2024.
Bottom line
The Full Pink Moon in 2023 will take place on April 6. It got its name after a pink wildflower (Phlox subulata) that blooms this month. Although the Moon won’t turn pink, it’s still worth looking at, especially as the evenings get warmer in the Northern Hemisphere. Observers in the Southern Hemisphere, where the April Full Moon goes by other names, also shouldn’t miss it. To find the dates and names of all the Full Moons coming this year, check out our colorful Full Moon calendar for 2023. We wish you clear skies and successful observations!Text Credit: Vito Technology, Inc.
