Monday's Pink Moon Will Be The First Supermoon We'll See This Year

Updated September 8, 2021

By now, it's likely become a struggle to find things to do that don't involve gathering with other people. And while that doesn't stop us from enjoying the fresh air, there's only so much we can do when it gets dark and we've run out of things to watch.

But in times like these, our wandering minds may start to remember those occasions where some of our friends became excited about moon events with unusual names. And while supermoon event names like Wolf Blood Moon, Black Supermoon, and Super Worm Moon sound more intense than they turn out to be, they can still make for a cool sight in the night sky.

And early next week, we'll have a chance to catch of glimpse of the first one of the year.

On April 26, the moon will reach one of the closest points to the Earth in its orbit, which is known as the perigee.

Reddit | eastmillet

According to Forbes, this will make it both 6% larger and up to 30% brighter than the average full moon.

This "Pink Moon" is expected to appear full for about three days after this supermoon event begins.

Reddit | iSOBigD

But while NASA reported that the supermoon will first appear at 11:32 pm on Monday, it's not actually likely to be visible until Tuesday evening.

As Forbes explained, the sky will be too bright on April 26 for the Pink Moon to show any real difference, while the next night will be significantly darker.

Whether you're in North America or Europe, your best view of the supermoon will likely come at moonrise on Tuesday.

Reddit | selenophile_photo

According to Forbes, this means you should be watching the skies from about 45 minutes to an hour after sunset to get the clearest sight of the event.

They also outlined that when you break it down to local times, this will likely be at 9:01 pm in London, 8:45 pm in New York City, and 8:38 pm in Los Angeles.

By now, you've no doubt noticed that this so-called Pink Moon doesn't actually look pink.

Reddit | imscavok

And as NASA explained, that's because supermoons are named for the months in which they appear rather than their colors.

Specifically, these names are derived from the Maine Farmer's Almanac, which often uses Native American Moon names for the months of the year. In the case of the Pink Moon, it's a reference to the fact that it appears around the same time as an herb known as moss pink or creeping phlox.

Since these are the earliest flowers to appear in spring, they provide a tell-tale sign for what time of year it is.

Although the Pink Moon will be one of the largest full moons we see this year, it won't technically be the biggest.

Reddit | Pie_Guy_movie

According to NASA, that honor will go to the supermoon set to appear on May 26, which will be about 98 miles closer to the earth than the Pink Moon will. Granted, this probably won't make for a difference that we can easily spot.

By the way, the May 26 moon will be known as the Super Flower Moon Eclipse, so that sounds like something to look forward to.

h/t: Forbes, NASA

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