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Forbes
11-04-2025
- Science
- Forbes
When To See The Full ‘Pink Moon' Rise With Spica: Skywatching This Weekend
Full moon rises behind Saint Jean-Baptiste (San Giovanni Battista) statue over Baptistery in Pisa, ... More Tuscany, Italy, on April 5, 2023. April full moon is also known as pink, egg and fish moon. (Photo by Lorenzo Di Cola/NurPhoto via Getty Images) Each Friday, I pick out North America's celestial highlights for the weekend ahead (which also apply to mid-northern latitudes in the northern hemisphere). Check my main feed for more in-depth articles on stargazing, astronomy, eclipses and more. This weekend, it's all about the full moon. The first of spring in the Northern Hemisphere (and fall in the Southern Hemisphere), the pink moon will appear on the eastern horizon in a blaze of oranges and yellows (but not pinks!), but exactly when to look depends on where you are. Here's everything you need to know about stargazing this weekend: Saturday, April 12: Full 'Pink Moon' Rises with Spica From across the world, the moon will appear big and bright for a few nights, but tonight it won't be alone. Close to it will be Spica, the brightest star in the constellation Virgo, and one of the brightest stars of the new season. From North America, tonight's the night to see it rise, with our natural satellite appearing shortly after sunset in gathering dusk. Use a moonrise calculator to find out the exact time of moonrise where you are, and get to a location with a good view low to the eastern horizon. The full moon sets behind Stonehenge on April 27, 2021 in Amesbury, England. (Photo by Finnbarr ...) For those in Europe, the best full moonrise of the month occurs tonight about an hour after sunset. That's a little late for twilight — when the spectacle is arguably at its best — but it's as close as it gets this month. Rising in a dark sky, the full moon will no longer be very close to Spica, but it's sure to still be a special sight. Seeing the 'Spring Diamond' in the eastern night sky is a sure sign that the new season has arrived. ... More Wherever you are on the planet this weekend, the full moon — or almost full moon — will dominate the night sky, making it tricky to see stars and constellations. However, this asterism (shape in the sky) is worth finding. Look to the east after dark to the bright stars Spica in the constellation Virgo and Arcturus in Boötes. Now add the fainter Denebola in Leo (at the tail of the lion) and Cor Caroli in Canes Venatici (closer to the Big Dipper). The times and dates given apply to mid-northern latitudes. For the most accurate location-specific information, consult online planetariums like Stellarium. Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.
Forbes
02-04-2025
- General
- Forbes
Why Is Easter So Late? Why The ‘Pink Moon' Delays Easter In 2025
Full moon rises behind Saint Jean-Baptiste (San Giovanni Battista) statue over Baptistery in Pisa, ... More Tuscany, Italy, on April 5, 2023. (Photo by Lorenzo Di Cola/NurPhoto via Getty Images) When is Easter in 2025? Easter Sunday is on Sunday, April 20, 2025, almost as late as it can be — but on a relatively rare occurrence, it's on the same date for both orthodox and non-orthodox Christians. According to the latest Easter Sunday is April 25. The Christian calendar — like many religions — uses a lunar calendar for some events. Rather than pretending that the supposed events of Easter occurred on an actual date, as with Christmas and many other occasions, the date of Easter has an official date that has much more to do with celestial mechanics than a messiah. The rule is this: Easter Sunday is the Sunday after the first full moon after the spring equinox. When is Easter? The northward equinox took place on March 20 this year, just six days after the full 'Worm Moon' — also a total lunar eclipse — on March 13/14, with the following full moon not occurring until the full 'Pink Moon' on April 12. That makes the 'Pink Moon,' also the 'Paschal Moon,' the full moon used to calculate Easter's date. All of this means that Easter Sunday falls on Sunday, April 20. Is Easter being decided by celestial mechanics a surprise? Christianity is one of many religions that use the moon and sun to decide the dates of significant annual events, with others including Chinese Lunar New Year, Ramadan and Passover. Easter is a lunar festival calculated using the moon's phases and the spring equinox, but the Orthodox Church's rules are slightly different from that of the Western Christian church. It all comes down to the different calendars used. Western Christianity uses the Gregorian calendar, while Orthodox Christianity uses the Julian calendar. Orthodox Christianity celebrates Easter and also depends on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the Jewish festival of Passover. That means its Easter Sunday must fall between April 4 and May 8 each year. Passover begins on the date of the Pink Moon on April 12/13. For the first time since 2017, both traditions of Christianity will celebrate Easter on the same date in 2025. The lunar year is an oft-misunderstood event. Earth takes 365.25 days to orbit the sun, and the moon takes 29.5 days to orbit the Earth. A lunar year — 12 lunations (orbits of the moon around Earth) is 354.3 days. That 10/11-day lag between the two explains why the dates of Easter differ so much from year to year. Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.
