It’s the crowning moment of April’s celestial events!
The month of April is full of several exciting and rare astronomical phenomena, the next of which will occur on the night of Monday, April 26.
This is the first supermoon of the year, and the highlight of astronomical events in April! Normally, supermoons occur 14 months apart, but we will see 2 in quick succession this year – one on April 26, and one on May 26.
On Apr 14 at 17:47 UTC, the #Moon will be at its furthest from #Earth (#apogee). In about 2 weeks, it will make its closest approach (#perigee) for the month at 15:24 UTC on Apr 27. This is just 12 hours after the #FullMoon, making it a #SuperPinkMoon.https://t.co/PfYKNZt2vX
— timeanddate.com (@timeanddate) April 14, 2021
A supermoon is a full moon that coincides with the moon’s closest orbital point to Earth (the perigee), making it 30 percent brighter and 14 percent larger than when at its further point from Earth (the apogee).
drawn to
the mystery
of the moon …#LovePortRepublicVirginiaSkies#supermoon #pinkmoon #fullmoon #stormhour #SuperPinkMoon #PinkFullMoon #SuperPinkMoon2020 pic.twitter.com/ZG9Z3heMLA— Debbie Morris (@debb_morris) April 8, 2020
Don’t expect the moon to turn pink, however. The “super pink moon” is so named because Native American tribes saw it mark the appearance of the spring flower ground phlox (or moss pink). Phlox can range in color from light pink to violet.
The pink supermoon will be visible throughout the night on Monday, but the most impressive views will be when it’s low on the horizon. That’ll be just after moonrise and just before moonset. MoonInfo.org tell us that moonrise is due to occur at 7:30pm, and moonset at 5:50am.
So, keep an eye out for the super pink moon on the night of Monday, April 26! Check out this light pollution map for best viewing.
Our next supermoon will be visible on May 26. The moon will appear blood-red in the sky as it’s obscured by the Earth’s shadow during the Total Lunar Eclipse happening at the same time. According to TimeAndDate.com, this event will be visible in the skies above DC between 4:47 a.m. and 5:50 a.m., with maximum visibility at 5:47 a.m.
[Featured Image: @patopeters via Instagram]