April 2024 full moon rises soon. But why is it called the 'pink moon'?
Following its blockbuster role as part of the total solar eclipse in early April, the moon will make another notable appearance in the sky over the next few days. This time, the full "pink" moon will rise in the evening sky Tuesday.
But barring some unforeseen atmospheric phenomena – such as wildfire smoke – the moon won't actually appear pink to our eyes. Instead, the moon should be "its usual golden color near the horizon and fade to a bright white as it glides overhead," according to the Old Farmer's Almanac.
The full moon in April instead gets its name from one of the earliest widespread flowers of spring. Here's what to know:
When is April's full moon?
April 2024's full moon will happen on Tuesday evening, April 23, 2024, at 7:49 p.m. EDT.
To our eyes, the moon will appear full for about three days around this time, from Monday morning to Thursday morning, NASA said.
Why is it called the pink moon?
For millennia, people across the world, including Native Americans, named the months after nature’s cues. Each full moon has its own name.
According to NASA, the Maine Farmers' Almanac began publishing Native American names for full moons in the 1930s and these names are now widely known and used.
The full moon in April is known as the "pink" moon, named after the herb moss pink, also known as creeping phlox, moss phlox or mountain phlox. This is a plant native to the eastern USA that is one of the earliest widespread flowers of spring.
Creeping phlox thrives in sandy or rocky soils and is often used as a ground cover, the Farmer's Almanac said.
NASA said other names for this moon include the sprouting grass moon, the egg moon, and — among coastal tribes of North America — the fish moon, because this was when the shad swam upstream to spawn.