Latest news with #NoahPetro
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
April's full pink moon will look smaller than usual — here's why
Sign up for CNN's Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more. Sharp-eyed lunar lovers may notice April's full moon looks smaller than usual this month, and despite its 'pink moon' namesake, the orb will have a white-golden hue. The micromoon will be visible in the Northern and Southern hemispheres and is set to rise Saturday evening, reaching its peak at 8:22 p.m. ET. Sky-gazers observe a micromoon as the celestial object is at or near the farthest point from Earth — also known as apogee — along its orbital path, according to NASA planetary scientist Dr. Noah Petro. 'The moon's orbit around the Earth is not perfect; it's elliptical, or egg shaped. So, there are points throughout the year when it's closer to the Earth and points when it's farther from the Earth,' said Petro, who leads the science team of NASA's Artemis III mission, aimed at getting humans back on the moon for the first time since 1972. April's micromoon will be the smallest of the three micromoons in 2025, with the next one occurring in May, according to EarthSky. For the best view of this micromoon, weather conditions allowing, NASA recommends using a pair of binoculars or a telescope and finding a spot with minimal light pollution. At its peak, April's full moon will be about 30,000 miles (49,000 kilometers) farther from Earth than the largest supermoon of the year, which will rise in November, according to NASA. A supermoon can be observed when the full moon occurs near or during perigee, the closest point in its orbit around Earth. Petro said a micromoon can appear up to 14% smaller and about 30% dimmer than a supermoon, which is subtle enough to go unnoticed by the casual viewer. You can observe the difference, however, through photographs. 'What leads to the joy of looking at the moon is (that) it's different every month,' Petro said. 'We can test ourselves to see if we can actually observe these differences.' This micromoon will appear about 6% smaller than the average full moon, according to astrophysicist Gianluca Masi, founder of the Virtual Telescope Project, which will stream the lunar event live as the moon rises over south central Italy. The moon's glowing appearance comes from the sun's reflected light, leading to its typical white or golden hue, according to NASA. Instead, the 'pink' name is a nod to the arrival of blooming flowers at the beginning of spring. Specifically, the hot pink wildflower Phlox subulata, referred to as creeping phlox, moss phlox or moss pink, densely mats the slopes of eastern and central United States around the same time as April's full moon, according to The Old Farmer's Almanac. Some Native American tribes have also named this moon after the arrival of spring foliage. The Tlingit described it as the budding moon of plants and shrubs, the Cherokee called it the flower moon, and the Apache referred to it as the moon of the big leaves, according to Western Washington University's site. This full moon also has religious significance in Christianity. The first full moon on or after the spring equinox, called the Paschal moon, sets the date of Easter. Following the pink moon event, there are eight more full moons to look out for this year, with supermoons occurring in October, November and December. Here's the list of full moons remaining in 2025, according to the Farmers' Almanac: May 12: Flower moon June 11: Strawberry moon July 10: Buck moon August 9: Sturgeon moon September 7: Corn moon October 6: Harvest moon November 5: Beaver moon December 4: Cold moon Meteor showers occur regularly throughout the year as Earth passes through the trails of debris left by comets. Here are peak dates for upcoming meteor showers in 2025, according to the American Meteor Society and EarthSky. Lyrids: April 21–22 Eta Aquariids: May 5–6 Southern Delta Aquariids: July 29–30 Alpha Capricornids: July 29–30 Perseids: August 12–13 Draconids: October 8–9 Orionids: October 22–23 Southern Taurids: November 3–4 Northern Taurids: November 8–9 Leonids: November 16–17 Geminids: December 12–13 Ursids: December 21–22 In the lead-up to the fall season, two eclipse events will grace the sky. A total lunar eclipse will be most visible from Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, parts of eastern South America, Alaska and Antarctica on September 7 and 8. A lunar eclipse, which causes the moon to look dark or dimmed, occurs when Earth is between the sun and moon and the three celestial objects line up in a row so that the moon passes into our planet's shadow. When the moon is within the darkest part of Earth's shadow, called the umbra, it takes on a reddish hue, which has led to the nickname 'blood moon' for a lunar eclipse, according to NASA. That shadow isn't perfect, so sunbeams sneak around the shadow's edges, bathing the moon in warm hues. A partial solar eclipse will occur on September 21 as the moon moves between the sun and Earth but the celestial bodies aren't perfectly aligned, according to NASA. In this type of event, the moon only blocks part of the sun's face, creating a crescent shape in which it appears the moon is taking a 'bite' out of the sun. This event will be visible to more remote areas of Australia, Antarctica and the Pacific Ocean.
CNN
12-04-2025
- Science
- CNN
April's full pink moon will look smaller than usual — here's why
Sharp-eyed lunar lovers may notice April's full moon looks smaller than usual this month, and despite its 'pink moon' namesake, the orb will have a white-golden hue. The micromoon will be visible in the Northern and Southern hemispheres and is set to rise Saturday evening, reaching its peak at 8:22 p.m. ET. Sky-gazers observe a micromoon as the celestial object is at or near the farthest point from Earth — also known as apogee — along its orbital path, according to NASA planetary scientist Dr. Noah Petro. 'The moon's orbit around the Earth is not perfect; it's elliptical, or egg shaped. So, there are points throughout the year when it's closer to the Earth and points when it's farther from the Earth,' said Petro, who leads the science team of NASA's Artemis III mission, aimed at getting humans back on the moon for the first time since 1972. April's micromoon will be the smallest of the three micromoons in 2025, with the next one occurring in May, according to EarthSky. For the best view of this micromoon, weather conditions allowing, NASA recommends using a pair of binoculars or a telescope and finding a spot with minimal light pollution. At its peak, April's full moon will be about 30,000 miles (49,000 kilometers) farther from Earth than the largest supermoon of the year, which will rise in November, according to NASA. A supermoon can be observed when the full moon occurs near or during perigee, the closest point in its orbit around Earth. Petro said a micromoon can appear up to 14% smaller and about 30% dimmer than a supermoon, which is subtle enough to go unnoticed by the casual viewer. You can observe the difference, however, through photographs. 'What leads to the joy of looking at the moon is (that) it's different every month,' Petro said. 'We can test ourselves to see if we can actually observe these differences.' This micromoon will appear about 6% smaller than the average full moon, according to astrophysicist Gianluca Masi, founder of the Virtual Telescope Project, which will stream the lunar event live as the moon rises over south central Italy. The moon's glowing appearance comes from the sun's reflected light, leading to its typical white or golden hue, according to NASA. Instead, the 'pink' name is a nod to the arrival of blooming flowers at the beginning of spring. Specifically, the hot pink wildflower Phlox subulata, referred to as creeping phlox, moss phlox or moss pink, densely mats the slopes of eastern and central United States around the same time as April's full moon, according to The Old Farmer's Almanac. Some Native American tribes have also named this moon after the arrival of spring foliage. The Tlingit described it as the budding moon of plants and shrubs, the Cherokee called it the flower moon, and the Apache referred to it as the moon of the big leaves, according to Western Washington University's site. This full moon also has religious significance in Christianity. The first full moon on or after the spring equinox, called the Paschal moon, sets the date of Easter. Following the pink moon event, there are eight more full moons to look out for this year, with supermoons occurring in October, November and December. Here's the list of full moons remaining in 2025, according to the Farmers' Almanac: May 12: Flower moon June 11: Strawberry moon July 10: Buck moon August 9: Sturgeon moon September 7: Corn moon October 6: Harvest moon November 5: Beaver moon December 4: Cold moon Meteor showers occur regularly throughout the year as Earth passes through the trails of debris left by comets. Here are peak dates for upcoming meteor showers in 2025, according to the American Meteor Society and EarthSky. Lyrids: April 21–22 Eta Aquariids: May 5–6 Southern Delta Aquariids: July 29–30 Alpha Capricornids: July 29–30 Perseids: August 12–13 Draconids: October 8–9 Orionids: October 22–23 Southern Taurids: November 3–4 Northern Taurids: November 8–9 Leonids: November 16–17 Geminids: December 12–13 Ursids: December 21–22 In the lead-up to the fall season, two eclipse events will grace the sky. A total lunar eclipse will be most visible from Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, parts of eastern South America, Alaska and Antarctica on September 7 and 8. A lunar eclipse, which causes the moon to look dark or dimmed, occurs when Earth is between the sun and moon and the three celestial objects line up in a row so that the moon passes into our planet's shadow. When the moon is within the darkest part of Earth's shadow, called the umbra, it takes on a reddish hue, which has led to the nickname 'blood moon' for a lunar eclipse, according to NASA. That shadow isn't perfect, so sunbeams sneak around the shadow's edges, bathing the moon in warm hues. A partial solar eclipse will occur on September 21 as the moon moves between the sun and Earth but the celestial bodies aren't perfectly aligned, according to NASA. In this type of event, the moon only blocks part of the sun's face, creating a crescent shape in which it appears the moon is taking a 'bite' out of the sun. This event will be visible to more remote areas of Australia, Antarctica and the Pacific Ocean.
CNN
12-04-2025
- Science
- CNN
April's full pink moon will look smaller than usual — here's why
Sharp-eyed lunar lovers may notice April's full moon looks smaller than usual this month, and despite its 'pink moon' namesake, the orb will have a white-golden hue. The micromoon will be visible in the Northern and Southern hemispheres and is set to rise Saturday evening, reaching its peak at 8:22 p.m. ET. Sky-gazers observe a micromoon as the celestial object is at or near the farthest point from Earth — also known as apogee — along its orbital path, according to NASA planetary scientist Dr. Noah Petro. 'The moon's orbit around the Earth is not perfect; it's elliptical, or egg shaped. So, there are points throughout the year when it's closer to the Earth and points when it's farther from the Earth,' said Petro, who leads the science team of NASA's Artemis III mission, aimed at getting humans back on the moon for the first time since 1972. April's micromoon will be the smallest of the three micromoons in 2025, with the next one occurring in May, according to EarthSky. For the best view of this micromoon, weather conditions allowing, NASA recommends using a pair of binoculars or a telescope and finding a spot with minimal light pollution. At its peak, April's full moon will be about 30,000 miles (49,000 kilometers) farther from Earth than the largest supermoon of the year, which will rise in November, according to NASA. A supermoon can be observed when the full moon occurs near or during perigee, the closest point in its orbit around Earth. Petro said a micromoon can appear up to 14% smaller and about 30% dimmer than a supermoon, which is subtle enough to go unnoticed by the casual viewer. You can observe the difference, however, through photographs. 'What leads to the joy of looking at the moon is (that) it's different every month,' Petro said. 'We can test ourselves to see if we can actually observe these differences.' This micromoon will appear about 6% smaller than the average full moon, according to astrophysicist Gianluca Masi, founder of the Virtual Telescope Project, which will stream the lunar event live as the moon rises over south central Italy. The moon's glowing appearance comes from the sun's reflected light, leading to its typical white or golden hue, according to NASA. Instead, the 'pink' name is a nod to the arrival of blooming flowers at the beginning of spring. Specifically, the hot pink wildflower Phlox subulata, referred to as creeping phlox, moss phlox or moss pink, densely mats the slopes of eastern and central United States around the same time as April's full moon, according to The Old Farmer's Almanac. Some Native American tribes have also named this moon after the arrival of spring foliage. The Tlingit described it as the budding moon of plants and shrubs, the Cherokee called it the flower moon, and the Apache referred to it as the moon of the big leaves, according to Western Washington University's site. This full moon also has religious significance in Christianity. The first full moon on or after the spring equinox, called the Paschal moon, sets the date of Easter. Following the pink moon event, there are eight more full moons to look out for this year, with supermoons occurring in October, November and December. Here's the list of full moons remaining in 2025, according to the Farmers' Almanac: May 12: Flower moon June 11: Strawberry moon July 10: Buck moon August 9: Sturgeon moon September 7: Corn moon October 6: Harvest moon November 5: Beaver moon December 4: Cold moon Meteor showers occur regularly throughout the year as Earth passes through the trails of debris left by comets. Here are peak dates for upcoming meteor showers in 2025, according to the American Meteor Society and EarthSky. Lyrids: April 21–22 Eta Aquariids: May 5–6 Southern Delta Aquariids: July 29–30 Alpha Capricornids: July 29–30 Perseids: August 12–13 Draconids: October 8–9 Orionids: October 22–23 Southern Taurids: November 3–4 Northern Taurids: November 8–9 Leonids: November 16–17 Geminids: December 12–13 Ursids: December 21–22 In the lead-up to the fall season, two eclipse events will grace the sky. A total lunar eclipse will be most visible from Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, parts of eastern South America, Alaska and Antarctica on September 7 and 8. A lunar eclipse, which causes the moon to look dark or dimmed, occurs when Earth is between the sun and moon and the three celestial objects line up in a row so that the moon passes into our planet's shadow. When the moon is within the darkest part of Earth's shadow, called the umbra, it takes on a reddish hue, which has led to the nickname 'blood moon' for a lunar eclipse, according to NASA. That shadow isn't perfect, so sunbeams sneak around the shadow's edges, bathing the moon in warm hues. A partial solar eclipse will occur on September 21 as the moon moves between the sun and Earth but the celestial bodies aren't perfectly aligned, according to NASA. In this type of event, the moon only blocks part of the sun's face, creating a crescent shape in which it appears the moon is taking a 'bite' out of the sun. This event will be visible to more remote areas of Australia, Antarctica and the Pacific Ocean.
CNN
12-04-2025
- Science
- CNN
April's full pink moon will look smaller than usual — here's why
Sharp-eyed lunar lovers may notice April's full moon looks smaller than usual this month, and despite its 'pink moon' namesake, the orb will have a white-golden hue. The micromoon will be visible in the Northern and Southern hemispheres and is set to rise Saturday evening, reaching its peak at 8:22 p.m. ET. Sky-gazers observe a micromoon as the celestial object is at or near the farthest point from Earth — also known as apogee — along its orbital path, according to NASA planetary scientist Dr. Noah Petro. 'The moon's orbit around the Earth is not perfect; it's elliptical, or egg shaped. So, there are points throughout the year when it's closer to the Earth and points when it's farther from the Earth,' said Petro, who leads the science team of NASA's Artemis III mission, aimed at getting humans back on the moon for the first time since 1972. April's micromoon will be the smallest of the three micromoons in 2025, with the next one occurring in May, according to EarthSky. For the best view of this micromoon, weather conditions allowing, NASA recommends using a pair of binoculars or a telescope and finding a spot with minimal light pollution. At its peak, April's full moon will be about 30,000 miles (49,000 kilometers) farther from Earth than the largest supermoon of the year, which will rise in November, according to NASA. A supermoon can be observed when the full moon occurs near or during perigee, the closest point in its orbit around Earth. Petro said a micromoon can appear up to 14% smaller and about 30% dimmer than a supermoon, which is subtle enough to go unnoticed by the casual viewer. You can observe the difference, however, through photographs. 'What leads to the joy of looking at the moon is (that) it's different every month,' Petro said. 'We can test ourselves to see if we can actually observe these differences.' This micromoon will appear about 6% smaller than the average full moon, according to astrophysicist Gianluca Masi, founder of the Virtual Telescope Project, which will stream the lunar event live as the moon rises over south central Italy. The moon's glowing appearance comes from the sun's reflected light, leading to its typical white or golden hue, according to NASA. Instead, the 'pink' name is a nod to the arrival of blooming flowers at the beginning of spring. Specifically, the hot pink wildflower Phlox subulata, referred to as creeping phlox, moss phlox or moss pink, densely mats the slopes of eastern and central United States around the same time as April's full moon, according to The Old Farmer's Almanac. Some Native American tribes have also named this moon after the arrival of spring foliage. The Tlingit described it as the budding moon of plants and shrubs, the Cherokee called it the flower moon, and the Apache referred to it as the moon of the big leaves, according to Western Washington University's site. This full moon also has religious significance in Christianity. The first full moon on or after the spring equinox, called the Paschal moon, sets the date of Easter. Following the pink moon event, there are eight more full moons to look out for this year, with supermoons occurring in October, November and December. Here's the list of full moons remaining in 2025, according to the Farmers' Almanac: May 12: Flower moon June 11: Strawberry moon July 10: Buck moon August 9: Sturgeon moon September 7: Corn moon October 6: Harvest moon November 5: Beaver moon December 4: Cold moon Meteor showers occur regularly throughout the year as Earth passes through the trails of debris left by comets. Here are peak dates for upcoming meteor showers in 2025, according to the American Meteor Society and EarthSky. Lyrids: April 21–22 Eta Aquariids: May 5–6 Southern Delta Aquariids: July 29–30 Alpha Capricornids: July 29–30 Perseids: August 12–13 Draconids: October 8–9 Orionids: October 22–23 Southern Taurids: November 3–4 Northern Taurids: November 8–9 Leonids: November 16–17 Geminids: December 12–13 Ursids: December 21–22 In the lead-up to the fall season, two eclipse events will grace the sky. A total lunar eclipse will be most visible from Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, parts of eastern South America, Alaska and Antarctica on September 7 and 8. A lunar eclipse, which causes the moon to look dark or dimmed, occurs when Earth is between the sun and moon and the three celestial objects line up in a row so that the moon passes into our planet's shadow. When the moon is within the darkest part of Earth's shadow, called the umbra, it takes on a reddish hue, which has led to the nickname 'blood moon' for a lunar eclipse, according to NASA. That shadow isn't perfect, so sunbeams sneak around the shadow's edges, bathing the moon in warm hues. A partial solar eclipse will occur on September 21 as the moon moves between the sun and Earth but the celestial bodies aren't perfectly aligned, according to NASA. In this type of event, the moon only blocks part of the sun's face, creating a crescent shape in which it appears the moon is taking a 'bite' out of the sun. This event will be visible to more remote areas of Australia, Antarctica and the Pacific Ocean.
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Tonight's Full 'Blood Worm Moon' Is Visible From Every U.S. State—and It'll Make the Moon Red
The first total lunar eclipse since 2022 will turn the moon a haunting crimson for over an hour. The eclipse will be visible in the Western Hemisphere in every state in the U.S. The eclipse will start around 1 a.m. EDT on Friday, and the totality will happen between about 2:30 a.m. and 3:30 a.m. EDT. A celestial spectacle is in store tonight that will make the moon appear an eerie shade of red. On the night of March 13 and early into March 14, stargazers in North America and South America will have a front row seat to a total lunar eclipse. The event, the first of its kind in nearly three years, will gradually unfold between 11:57 p.m. and 6 a.m. EDT. Totality, the point at which the moon enters the Earth's inner shadow (umbra) and begins a visual transformation, will occur between 2:26 a.m. and 3:31 a.m. EDT. During this stage, which is expected to last 65 minutes, the lunar surface will transition from its traditional pearly white to a deep, ruddy red, giving way to the prolonged spectacle of the "blood moon." A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth passes directly between the moon and the sun, casting its shadow fully over the lunar surface. During totality, the moon enters Earth's umbra—the darkest, central part of its shadow—and gradually dims. While Earth blocks direct sunlight from reaching the moon, some of the sun's light still filters through the planet's atmosphere. This phenomenon, known as Rayleigh scattering, creates the same effect that makes sunrises and sunsets so vivid, and paints the moon in an eerie, red glow. 'The red is the projection of all the sunrises and sunsets onto the lunar surface,' Noah Petro, Project Scientist for NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter mission, told Forbes. 'We see it turn red not because of some mythical fire-breathing dragon, but because of the properties of the Earth's atmosphere scattering light.' Unlike solar eclipses, which require special glasses for viewing every phase except totality, lunar eclipses are perfectly safe to view with the naked eye. If anything, all you'll need is a blanket, lawn chair, and a hot cup of coffee. They're also quite forgiving with uneven weather conditions thanks to their long duration, so if a cloud briefly obscures the moon during totality, waiting several minutes for it to pass won't spoil the fun. Should the March weather, however, decide to present something more dull and grey, don't despair. Eclipse gurus Anne Buckle and Graham Jones of will be hosting a live stream of the event starting at 1 a.m. EDT on March 14. If the haunting glow of the blood moon sparks your passion for total lunar eclipses, you won't have long to wait to catch it again. On Sept. 7, another striking show will captivate stargazers across Asia, Africa, Australia, and Europe. For those in the Americas, the next total lunar eclipse arrives in March 2026. Read the original article on Travel & Leisure
