What Is A ‘Pink Moon?’ Exactly When To See Spring’s First Full Moon Rise This Weekend From Where You Live
An almost full Pink Moon is seen in the sky behind the Statue of Liberty as the sun rises on April … [+]
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Wait. A “pink” Moon? It looks orange to me!
Yes, well, April’s full moon that will rise on Saturday April 19, 2022 may be termed a “Pink Moon,” but don’t expect it to actually appear pink.
Unless there are some weird goings-on in the atmosphere your view of Saturday’s fabulous moonrise will feature—if skies are clear—a muted orange orb appearing on the eastern horizon.
The same as always … except that—admit it—you rarely ever see the monthly moonrise, do you?
Each month there’s a magical 20 minutes you don’t want to miss
You need to be in the right place at the right time to see our natural satellite in space appear on the eastern horizon while dusk falls around you. You can watch it draped on orange hues and, as it rises gently into the dark blue sky, subtly change to yellow and visibly brighten as it gets higher.
Here’s exactly when, where and how to watch the rise of the “Pink Moon,” the first full Moon of spring 2022:
When is the ‘Pink Moon?’
The Moon will be 100% illuminated at 18:57 UTC on Saturday, April 19, 2022. However, when to see the moment of moonrise differs according to where you are on the planet.
You don’t want to know when the Moon is exactly full. It’s irrelevant. What you need to know is exactly what time the moonrise will take place on the day of the full Moon—and sometimes the day before or the day after—whichever mostly closely follows or precedes the sunset.
That way to get to watch the moonrise in dusk. It’s the only time of the month that you can watch the orangey orb glowing in its environment instead of at night. What a sight!
Exactly when to see the ‘Pink Moon’ rising
You can check the exact times of moonrise where you are, but here’s a sample of when best to see the “Pink Moon” from three global cities:
- London: 7:47 p.m. BST on Saturday, April 19, 2022 (sunset is at 7:57 p.m. BST)
- New York City: 7:44 p.m. EDT on Saturday, April 19, 2022 (sunset is at 7:36 p.m. EDT)
- Los Angeles: 7:41 p.m. PDT on Saturday, April 19, 2022 (sunset is at 7:24 p.m. PDT)
The full “Pink Moon” sets behind Stonehenge on April 27, 2021 in Amesbury, England. (Photo by … [+]
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Why is April’s full Moon called the ‘Pink Moon?’
It’s the cherry blossom, right? Actually it’s because of the appearance in spring of wild ground phlox, though since full Moons are (rather inexplicably) linked to names used by various Native American tribes it’s all very North America-centric.
April’s full Moon is also known as the Sprouting Grass Moon, the Growing Moon, the Fish Moon and the Hare Moon.
In the UK April’s full Moon is called the Egg Moon.
What has the ‘Pink Moon’ got to do with Easter?
More religious festivals than you think are connected to the Moon. The exact dates of Passover and Easter each year are two of them. Passover begins on the evening before the first full Moon after equinox (March 20, 2022) and Easter happens on the first Sunday following the first full Moon after equinox.
When is the next full Moon?
The next full Moon is the full “Flower Moon,” which will occur on Monday, May 16, 2022. It will also be a “Blood Moon” total lunar eclipse. On Sunday. May 15 and into Monday, 16, 2022 the full “Flower Moon” will turn a spectacular reddish color for 84 minutes. And it will be best viewed in North and South America!
Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.
