There's a 'Pink Moon' coming on Friday, April 19. Here's where you can see it
The Full Moon in April 2019 has a lot of expectations to live up to after the world already saw three consecutive Supermoons. Even though the April Pink Moon will not be as amazing to view as a supermoon, it is an event that should definitely not be missed. The event will peak in its brightness shortly after midday (12 noon) on Friday, April 19. In the UK, the lunar satellite will reach the Full Moon phase at around 12:12 p.m. BST (11:12 a.m. UTC), if you are viewing from London.
This means that it will take place eight hours before the moonrise at night. The Pink Moon will not be visible until after 8:05 p.m. BST (7:05 p.m. UTC). In the USA, it will become completely full on Friday at 7:12 a.m. ET or 4:12 a.m. PT.
April's Full Moon is named after the pink phlox flower and has previously appeared white, yellow or orange, depending on the atmospheric conditions, Express.co.uk reported.
During one total lunar eclipse, that took place last year, a Blood Red Moon could be seen by thousands of stargazers. There are also those other metaphoric names such as the Blue Moon or Black Moon, but none of these names have anything to do with the physical appearance of our natural satellite.
Even though April is known for its rains and warming temperatures, it is also known as the month when the spring flowers begin to arrive. The Old Farmers’ Almanac has explained the origins of the Pink Moon's name as: "This full Moon heralded the appearance of the moss pink, or wild ground phlox—one of the first spring flowers. It has also been called the Sprouting Grass Moon, the Egg Moon, and the Fish Moon."
The spectacular names given to full moon events of every month date all the way back to the Native Americans. The tribes used to keep track of the many seasons throughout the year by giving them unique names during each recurring Full Moon. The names were applied to the entire month in which they occurred. European settlers are said to have followed the custom and have created some of their own names.
These are the names of the full moons from the other months:
January: Wolf Moon
February: Snow Moon
March: Worm Moon
April: Pink Moon
May: Flower Moon
June: Strawberry Moon
July: Buck Moon
August: Sturgeon Moon
September: Corn Moon
October: Hunter's Moon
November: Beaver Moon
December: Cold Moon