1st full moon of spring to rise this weekend
April is packed with celestial sights, including a bunching of planets and the Lyrid meteor shower, but this weekend will bring the first big astronomy event of the month: The Full Pink Moon.
The full moon will rise Saturday night, the first event of its kind since the start of astronomical spring, which took place on March 20.
April's full moon is commonly called the Pink Moon, although it won't actually appear pink in color. The name is linked to the changing seasons, specifically, the wild ground phlox, which is one of the first plants to flower with pink and purple petals in the spring across the eastern United States.
"Historically, Native American and other traditional names for full or new moons were used to track the seasons," The Old Farmer's Almanac explained on its website. Most full moon nicknames can be traced back hundreds of years.
Other nicknames for April's full moon include the Frog Moon, the Sugar Maker Moon and the Breaking Ice Moon.
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Later in the month, the moon will once again attract the attention of skywatchers as it sits at the center of a cosmic gathering of Venus, Saturn and Mercury.
The display will be visible before sunrise in the eastern sky on April 25 -- no telescope required.
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