Latest news with #PaschalMoon
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
When is the next full moon? Here's how to see the April Pink Moon in Colorado
In March, Coloradans who had cooperating skies were able to see the Blood Moon and take in the reddish-orange hues of the first total lunar eclipse visible across the U.S. in three years. April brings the first full moon of spring. It is called the Pink Moon — even though it won't change color — among other names that give a nod to early signs of spring. It is also a micromoon, appearing almost as small in the sky as possible for a full moon to be. It is also a significant moon for its importance to the timing of Christian religious holidays. Here's more about the Pink Moon. The Pink Moon will occur on April 12, 2025. According to the Old Farmer's Almanac, the full moon will reach peak illumination at 6:23 p.m. MT. No. April's full moon gets its name from the early spring bloom of creeping phlox, a pink flower found in parts of eastern North America, according to Starwalk. April full moon names bestowed by Native Americans largely pay homage to signs of spring, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac. They include: The Breaking Ice Moon (Algonquin) and Moon When the Streams Are Again Navigable (Dakota) recognize how warming tempers are melting ice in rivers. The Budding Moon of Plants and Shrubs (Tlingit) and Moon of the Red Grass Appearing (Oglala) point to new plant life. The Moon When the Ducks Come Back (Lakota), Moon When the Geese Lay Eggs (Dakota), Frog Moon (Cree) and Sucker Moon (Anishinaabe) call attention to animals. April's full moon will be a micromoon. This occurs when the moon is at its farthest point from Earth, known as its apogee. The distance makes it appear smaller and dimmer than usual; it is the opposite of a super moon. This year, April's full moon is the first one after the spring equinox, making it the Paschal Moon in Christianity. For most Christians, the date for Easter — April 20 this year — is set as the first Sunday following the Paschal Moon. More: This Colorado city was named one of the 50 best places to retire in the US Nate Trela covers trending news in Colorado and Utah for the USA TODAY Network. This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Pink Moon: Everything to know about April full moon and how to see it
Forbes
13-04-2025
- Science
- Forbes
In Photos: April's Pink ‘Micro Moon' Lights Up Spring Skies Worldwide
The night sky was ablaze with moonlight on Saturday, April 12, 2025, as the first full moon of spring — known as the pink moon — rose in dusk. Also the smallest full moon of the year, it wasn't pink in color, instead appearing in the east as an orange orb. Here are all the best images of April's full pink moon from around the world, from San Francisco to Istanbul, Kashmir and Sydney. Named after the pink phlox flowers that bloom in spring in parts of North America rather than for the moon's color, April's pink moon reached its full phase at 8:23 p.m. EDT, aligning almost perfectly with moonrise in parts of North America. As it appeared in the east, Earth's atmosphere dimmed and reddened its light, causing its surface to glow in subtle orangey hues. Like all full moons viewed at moonrise, its size was exaggerated, not by physics but by the "moon illusion" — tricks on our perception when the moon is near the horizon phenomenon that makes the full moon seem bigger than it is. Even that illusion was stretched during the appearance of this, the smallest full moon of the year. That happened because the moon's orbit of Earth is slightly elliptical. That means there's always a date when it's closest to Earth (perigee) and farthest (apogee). A perigee full moon is better known as a 'supermoon,' which looks slightly bigger than average, while an apogee full moon — sometimes called a "micro" moon — looks somewhat smaller than average. The latter scenario describes April's full pink moon. April's full moon was this year considered the 'Paschal Moon,' the full moon used to calculate the date of Easter Sunday. It traditionally falls on the Sunday after the first moon after the Spring equinox, which occurred on March 20 this year. The moon reached fullness on April 13 in Universal Time, but on April 12 only in North American time zones, meaning Easter was set for Sunday, April 20, 2025. The next full moon, the flower moon, will occur on Monday, May 12, 2025. Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
When to watch tonight's pink moon in California - followed by Lyrid meteor shower
April stargazers are in for a special micromoon when April's pink moon appears full tonight and look forward to the Lyrid meteor shower streaks and peaks in the sky next week. The April full moon will also be a micro moon, meaning it will appear slightly smaller than usual in the sky due to its distance from Earth. This will be the first moon of spring, also known as the Paschal Moon or Passover Moon, which also determined the date of Easter — which is why it's later than normal this year. Here's what to know about this month's celestial events and when to watch the full moon in April 2025. The pink moon will start rising around 7:15 p.m. Saturday, April 12 and then peaks around 12:15 a.m., according to The Old Farmer's Almanac. To catch a glimpse, simply look toward the eastern horizon after sunset. Click here to see moonrise and moonset times in your area. 🌓 First Quarter: April 5. 🌕 Full Moon: April 13. 🌗 Last Quarter: April 21. 🌑 New Moon: April 27. April's full moon is called the pink moon, not because it will actually be pink, but rather because it coincides with the blooming of early spring flowers, specifically the creeping phlox, vibrant pink-colored wildflowers in North America. The pink moon carries deeper cultural significance in both Christian and pagan traditions, symbolizing a transition in season as well as rebirth, growth and spiritual renewal. A micro moon occurs when a full moon coincides with the point in its orbit when it's farthest from Earth, known as apogee. As a result, the micro moon will appear about 14% smaller and 30% dimmer than usual, or when it is closest to the Earth. The Lyrid meteor showers is the oldest recorded meteor shower (first recorded in 687 BCE) and still visible today. they will be active from mid to late April, peaking around April 22 this year. On the night of April 21-22nd the moon will sit below the horizon until around 11 p.m. Eastern, so it won't cause light pollution, making conditions ideal to observe the peak, according to the American Meteor Society. The Lyrids are expected to produce good rates of zipping meteor activity for three nights around its peak and while they usually lack persistent trains, they can produce fireballs. The Lyrid meteor shower will overlap into the next stronger meteor shower — eta Aquariids — which begin April 20 lasting till May 21 with their peak night falling on May 3-4. Easter is a "moveable feast" that follows the lunar cycle of the Jewish calendar, the Almanac says. The holiday's date is always the first Sunday after the full moon that occurs on or after the spring equinox — dubbed the Paschal full moon. This year's astronomical date of the equinox was March 20 and this April 12th full moon is the first since then, and the first Sunday after it is April 20 — Easter Sunday 2025. The full moon in May, also known as the flower moon reaches peak illumination on Monday, May 12, 2025. This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: April full moon is pink micromoon. When to watch Lyrid meteor shower
Axios
12-04-2025
- Science
- Axios
How, when to see the full Pink Moon and micromoon this weekend
April's full moon — a micromoon — will be the smallest and faintest of the year when it peaks this Saturday. The big picture: The Moon, which is known as a Pink Moon, Paschal Moon and Passover Moon, sets the date for Easter. It's the first full moon of spring and comes after last month's total lunar eclipse and " Blood Moon." What time is the Pink Moon Saturday? Zoom in: The Full Pink Moon reaches peak illumination at 8:22pm ET Saturday, according to The Moon will appear 100% full on Saturday and Sunday. It will appear 98% full Friday and then on Monday, per the Almanac's Moon rise and set times webpage, which helps you figure out the times the Moon should be visible near you. See NASA's Daily Moon Guide here. Will the Moon appear pink? What we're watching: The full moon may "look pinkish for a short time, depending on the atmosphere," Live Science reports. Forbes notes that when the Moon rises into the eastern sky during dusk, it "will be bathed in soft hues of orange." Between the lines: The name Pink Moon comes from the early spring bloom of a wildflower native to eastern North America — Phlox subulate — a flower often called "moss pink," says. What is a micromoon? A micromoon is defined as a "full moon near apogee," NASA says. Apogee is the most distant point on an elliptical orbit around Earth, per NASA. This distance is approximately 251,000 miles away from Earth. May's full moon is also set to be a micromoon. It's the opposite of a supermoon, where the Moon looks a bit larger and swings closer to Earth. Easter and Passover tied to April full moon The intrigue: Easter is celebrated the Sunday after the Paschal Full Moon and Passover always begins on the night of a full moon in accordance with the Jewish calendar, according to NASA. Easter is on April 20 this year and the first night of the eight-day holiday of Passover begins Saturday. Other names for April's moon are Sprouting Grass Moon, Egg Moon, Fish Moon, the Pesach Moon and the Hanuman Jayanti Festival Moon.
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Easter is coming late in 2025, astronomically speaking. Here's why
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Saturday night (April 12) brings us the April full moon, which traditionally is known as the "Pink Full Moon." The Native Americans who once occupied the northern and eastern United States kept track of the seasons by attaching distinctive names to each full moon that occurred at approximate 29-day intervals during the course of the year The "Pink Moon" name is rather deceptive, however, because it might initially give some the idea that on that particular night the full moon will appear to glow with a pinkish or salmon hue. Some years ago here at I related an anecdote about when I was a young boy and a local TV weathercaster made the suggestion to go out and look for the pink moon, and my mother dutifully took me outside to show it to me — which instead, disappointingly, appeared like any other normal full moon. The "pink" moniker comes from the fact that April is that part of the spring season when a widely cultivated flowering plant, indigenous to the eastern and central portions of Canada and the United States, is usually in full bloom: Phlox subulata, which also goes by the name "creeping," "mountain," or "moss pink" phlox. Hence the pink reference for the April full moon. This year, the April full moon has yet another title: The Paschal Moon. It's an important lunar event for two different cultures, in that it serves to set the start of the Hebrew feast of Passover and the date of the Christian holiday of Easter. Related: Full moon calendar 2025: When to see the next full moon The new moon nearest the vernal equinox is the first day of the Hebrew month of Nisan. Then comes the next full moon, the so-called Paschal Moon, on 14 or 15 Nisan, which also marks Pesach, or Passover. As for Easter, it falls on the Sunday that follows the first full moon occurring on or after the day of the vernal (spring) equinox: the Paschal Moon. Since the Paschal Moon occurs this year on Saturday (at 8:22 p.m. EDT), it stands to reason that Easter should come the next day, Sunday (April 13). But it doesn't. In fact, eight additional days will pass after this Paschal full moon before Easter Sunday 2025 is finally celebrated on April 20. We'll explain the probable reason for this discrepancy in a moment. But first, a few "fine points" need to be cited concerning the criteria for designating a date for Easter. First, according to the current ecclesiastical rules, the vernal equinox — the first day of spring — is fixed on March 21, even though worldwide from the years 2008 through 2101 it actually will occur no later than March 20. This sometimes leads to some oddities. In the year 2038, the equinox falls on March 20, with a full moon the very next day (a Sunday). So, astronomically, Easter should fall on March 28 of that year. In reality, however, as mandated by the rules of the church, Easter in 2038 will be observed as late as it possibly can come, on April 25. Second, the dating of the Paschal Full Moon is not based on astronomical computations but rather is taken from ecclesiastical tables. These tables derive their lunar calculations (known as computus paschalis) from such elements as epacts and the Golden Number. So, the date provided by the "ecclesiastical moon" does not always precisely line up with the real moon! As a result, as pointed out by the renowned Belgian mathematical astronomer Jean Meeus in his 1997 book "Mathematical Astronomy Morsels," there are 78 cases between 1583 and 2582 in which Easter is celebrated solely in accordance with ecclesiastical rules and not the more precise astronomical data. Notes Meeus: "Because the spring equinox does not always occur on March 21, and because the Paschal Full Moon does not exactly coincide with the true full moon, unavoidably there are years when Easter falls on an incorrect date, astronomically speaking." Related: The full moon that determines Easter Meeus also brings up some other fascinating facts concerning the dating of Easter. For example: The earliest date that Easter can fall on is March 22 (the last time was in 1818; the next time will be in 2285). The latest (as previously noted) is April 25. March Easter dates are always "isolated." That is, an Easter date in March is always preceded (one year earlier) and followed (one year later) by an Easter in April. On rare occasions, there can also be an isolated April Easter. The last time this happened was in 1990, but it will not happen again until 2085. In our Gregorian calendar, it is possible to have 10 successive Easter Sundays fall in April, but since that calendar first came into use in 1582, this consecutive string of April Easters has never happened. It will finally take place for the very first time in the middle of the 29th century, spanning the years 2856 through 2865. Between the years 2000 to 7999, the date upon which Easter falls the most frequently (231 times) is April 19. However, between the years 2000 and 2999, the date on which Easter falls the most frequently is not April 19, but April 16 (43 times). Related Stories: — April's Full Pink Moon will rise as a 'micromoon' this weekend — what to expect from the smallest full moon of 2025 — Spring equinox 2025: Say goodbye to winter in the Northern Hemisphere today — What is the moon phase today? Lunar phases 2025 Now getting back to the question as to why Easter seemingly is coming late this year. Interestingly, it has nothing to do with the ecclesiastical methodology of dating the Paschal Moon or the inaccurate placement of the vernal equinox. Here in North America, the Paschal full moon indeed occurs (depending on your time zone) on Saturday (April 12), either in the late afternoon or evening. But across the Atlantic Ocean for European longitudes ("The Old World"), the Paschal full moon takes place after midnight, early on Sunday morning (April 13). That includes the Vatican, which would likely take precedence over locations in the Western Hemisphere. So, the first Sunday after the Paschal Moon in the Old World would come a week later, on April 20. And that's when Easter Sunday will occur this year; the latest since 2019 and until 2030 (which are both on April 21). Joe Rao serves as an instructor and guest lecturer at New York's Hayden Planetarium. He writes about astronomy for Natural History magazine, Sky and Telescope and other publications.
