April 2021 Pink Supermoon Is Coming | When and How Can You Watch It

A pink supermoon, traditionally called Pink Moon, will make an appearance this April 2021. It's been almost a year since the last April supermoon left star gazers mesmerized. 2021's Pink Moon will rise on the night of April 26, Monday. This supermoon is the first of only two supermoons in 2021.

You can catch this heavenly sight if you step outside on April 26 around 11:33 pm EDT, when it will be at its peak illumination. The moon will, otherwise, be visible right after sunset, according to the Farmer's Almanac. The supermoon will be best visible from an open area. You'd be able to see the moon rising above the horizon, which is when it will appear its biggest and golden.

However, if you are looking for the moon to turn pink, don't get your hopes up. "This 'Super Pink Moon' won't actually look 'super pink' — or any hue of pink, really," said the Farmer's Almanac. "The Moon will be its usual golden color near the horizon and fade to a bright white as it glides overhead!"

Why is it called Pink Moon?

The Pink Moon got its name from the springtime blooms of a wildflower native to eastern North America, Phlox subulata, which is usually called creeping phlox or moss phlox. The flower is also called "moss pink." The Pink Moon has other names as well like Breaking Ice Moon (Algonquin) and Moon When the Streams Are Again Navigable (Dakota). It is also called Budding Moon of Plants and Shrubs (Tlingit) and Moon of the Red Grass Appearing (Oglala), which refer to the growth of plants during this season.

As per legend, around this time, the fish return from the spirit world to purify bodies of water and the creatures living in them. One of the names refers to the return of the fish. It is called Sucker Moon (Anishinaabe) referring to the suckerfish.

We have a full moon every month since they occur every 27.5 days. All of those full moons have a special name, much like April's full moon. The June one is the strawberry moon while July is the buck moon and August is the sturgeon moon. The names given to the moons are in relation to the seasons. The May full moon is called flower moon and is named for the time when late frosts end and many flowers are in bloom. The tradition of naming the moons goes back to Native Americans. The second supermoon of the year will be the flower moon, which will take place on May 26.

Why is it called a supermoon?

A full moon is called a supermoon when it is in the closest point of orbit in relation to the Earth. This phenomenon is called perigee, and it also appears closer and brighter than usual. On average, a supermoon is 7% bigger and 15% brighter than a full moon, according to People. However, that is the broad definition. A stricter definition of the event describes a supermoon as the "single closest new moon and full moon of the year." As per this definition, there can only be two supermoons annually, and only one of them will be a full moon.

However, most people use the broad definition which allows for there to be multiple supermoons in a year. The supermoon also refers to the full moons only since new moons are not visible from Earth, according to Farmer's Almanac.

The third definition to judge if a full moon is a supermoon is by looking at the distance from Earth. It is believed that a full moon taking place at a distance closer than 224,000 miles (360,000 km) is a supermoon.

References:

https://www.almanac.com/content/full-moon-april

https://people.com/human-interest/pink-super-moon-2021-april-26-details/

https://www.almanac.com/what-supermoon

Cover image source: Getty Images | Photo by Mike Hewitt