LOOK UP TONIGHT! FULL PINK MOON PEAKS THIS EVENING

The Pink Moon will officially peak at 00:49 BST on Wednesday morning
It won't actually look pink, but will look full and bright in the night sky

If you're a fan of stargazing, make sure you have this evening booked off in your diary.

Tonight, the Full Pink Moon will reach its peak as our entire lunar satellite is lit up by the sun.

Despite its nickname, the moon won't actually look pink.

Instead, the name comes from the herb moss pink, which is one of the earliest widespread flowers of spring.

'Other names for this Moon include the Sprouting Grass Moon, the Egg Moon, and among coastal tribes the Fish Moon, as this was when the shad swam upstream to spawn,' NASA explained.

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Full moons occur roughly once a month, when the moon is opposite the sun, as viewed from Earth.

This alignment reveals the moon's dayside, making it appear full and bright in the night sky.

The Pink Moon will officially peak at 00:49 BST on Wednesday morning (19:49 EDT on Tuesday night in the US).

'The Moon will appear full for about 3 days around this time, from Monday morning to Thursday morning,' NASA explained.

The Maine Farmers' Almanac began publishing 'Indian' names for full moons back in the 1930s, and these are now widely known and used around the world.

April's full moon is usually called the Pink Moon according to this almanac, but you may also hear people calling it the Fish Moon, the Egg Moon, or the Grass Moon.

In the Hebrew calendar, this is also the Pesach, or Passover Moon, while for Buddhists, this is the Bak Poya.

The Hindu lunisolar calendar has a number of variations, although for most regions, this full Moon corresponds with the Hanuman Jayanti festival, which is the celebration of the birth of Lord Hanuman.

Meanwhile, this full moon is near the middle of Shawwal, the tenth month of the Islamic calendar, and the middle of the third month of the Chinese year of the dragon.

'The wearing of suitably celebratory celestial attire is encouraged in honor of the full Moon,' NASA added.

'Enjoy the early flowers and sprouting grass of spring, leave an extra seat at the table, and avoid starting any wars!'

2024-04-23T10:22:27Z dg43tfdfdgfd