This week, the Pink Moon will grace the skies and light up our nights. As the fourth full moon of 2024, it will be visible from Monday to Wednesday (April 22-24). On Tuesday (April 23), the moon will be at its fullest and brightest, shining in the constellation Virgo near Spica, one of the 20 brightest stars in the night sky. The Pink Moon’s appearance will coincide with the peak of the Lyrid meteor shower, but it may outshine the annual display of shooting stars.
In North America, skywatchers should look for a low view of the eastern horizon to witness this celestial event. The best time to catch a glimpse of this rare meteor shower is on April 22 when the moon is at its lowest point just before dawn. From North America, viewers can see the full moon rising in the east very close to sunset on Tuesday. It is recommended that they check their local moonrise and moonset times for a clear view of this unique celestial event.
The Pink Moon gets its name from blooming flowers this time of year and has several Native American names associated with it. These include Moon of Red Grass Appearing (Oglala), Sprouting Grass Moon (Tlingit), Moon of Blackberry (Choctaw), Flower Moon (Cherokee), and Moon of Big Leaves (Apache). In Judaism, it is known as the Passover Moon because it marks the first day of the Jewish festival of Passover (Pesach). Another name for April’s full moon is Paschal Moon, which is associated with Easter celebrations.
Interestingly, during a rare celestial event, many skywatchers in North America also witnessed this Pink Moon during a total solar eclipse on April 8 when it briefly blocked out the sun while offering some surprisingly pink views of its atmosphere during peak eclipse time.