If you thought the moon looked pretty huge the other night, it’s nothing compared to what’s in store for tonight.
The first supermoon of the year is set to debut Monday and with it comes a nickname: pink moon.
“Since we can’t see a new moon (except when it passes in front of the sun), what has caught the public’s attention in recent decades are full supermoons, as these are the biggest and brightest full moons for the year,” NASA said in a guide.
Read on to learn more about the supermoon, a term coined by astrologer Richard Nolle in 1979, and how tonight’s moon got its name.
Why is it called the pink moon?
No, you won’t look up at the sky tonight and see a pink glow coming from the moon.
According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, the pink moon is so named because of its close correspondence with the early springtime blooms of the wildflower creeping phlox — which has also been referred to as “moss pink.”
When can I see it?
Officially, the pink moon will become the fullest at 11:32 p.m. Monday, April 26, NASA reported. It will continue to appear full through Wednesday morning.
What makes the pink moon a supermoon?
According to NASA, a moon is considered a supermoon when it is a new or full moon within 90% of perigee, or the point that its orbit is closest to Earth. It is 222,064 miles away from the Earth rather than the average 240,000 miles away. Supermoons appear around 16% brighter and 7% bigger than usual, Space.com noted.
Is this the only supermoon of the year?
If you miss tonight’s supermoon, there’s no need to despair, The pink moon kicks off a year that will have one other supermoon, USA Today reported. The next supermoon will occur on May 26.
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