April's full Pink Moon rises as micromoon Saturday
The first full Moon of spring is a micromoon because it occurs when the Moon is farthest in its orbit from Earth, known as apogee.
Lunar sunset recorded by Blue Ghost lander on the Moon
FILE VIDEO: A video compilation shows lunar sunset imagery captured by Blue Ghost from different camera angles on March 16, 2025. These images, stitched together in a video, show a horizon glow that comes to life just above the Moon’s surface as the sun goes down. Earth and Venus (further in the distance) can be seen above the Moon.
Saturday will see the rise of the first full Moon of spring, known as the Pink Moon. Despite its name, it won’t be the biggest or the brightest.
Spring's first full Moon is a micromoon because it occurs when the Moon is farthest in its orbit from Earth, known as apogee. This is the opposite of a Supermoon when the full Moon occurs during perigee – when the Moon’s orbit is closest to Earth.
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The distance between the Earth and the Moon during perigee is about 230,000 miles, while it's about 20,000 miles farther away during apogee for a micromoon.
FILE PHOTO: April full moon (or Pink Moon) is seen behind a perching egret silhouette in Tanah Datar, West Sumatra, Indonesia, on April 23, 2024. April full moons often coincide with the blooming of certain wildflowers native to eastern North America. (Photo by Adi Prima/Anadolu via Getty Images)
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The Moon will be fullest on Saturday at 8:22 p.m. ET, ahead of Palm Sunday. The Moon will appear full in the three days around April 13.
Full Moon and Easter
Lowell Observatory Director of Science Gerard van Belle said this full Moon plays a special role in determining when the Easter holiday occurs.
"Easter has this bizarre formula of the 1st full Moon after March 21st, so sometimes it's the April full Moon. Other times, if it's the March full moon that happens late in March, that's what determines when Easter is," van Belle said. "Easter could be all over the calendar, just terrible for scheduling Easter events."
Due to the distance, the micromoon will appear slightly less impressive than other full Moons during the year.
"It's going to be just a little bit smaller, about 10% smaller, and about a 3rd dimmer," van Belle said.
Why is it called a Pink Moon?
According to The Old Farmer's Almanac, the first full Moon after the spring equinox is named for creeping phlox, a wildflower also known as "moss pink," which blooms in April.
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April’s full Moon is also known by different names in Native American culture because of its ties to seasonal change. Some long but literal nicknames include the Dakota’s "Moon When the Streams Are Again Navigable" or the Tlingit’s "Budding Moon of Plants and Shrubs."
April offers a few other exciting stargazing events and reasons to look up, including the Lyrid Meteor Shower.
May's full Moon, known as the Flower Moon, rises on May 12.