Happy Full Pink Moon!

Today is April 25, 2013 so tonight, when the sun goes down, hopefully it'll be clear enough to see our beautiful full moon, which, by the time WE see it, will already be waning, as it peaks at 3:57pm EST.  The full moon falling in the month of April is known as the Full Pink Moon, according to the Farmer's Almanac.

The habit of "naming" each full moon of the year is a practice that originated with the Algonquin tribes throughout the northern and eastern United States as a way to keep track of the seasons.  This month's Full Pink Moon gets its name from the herb moss pink, or wild ground phlox, which is one of the earliest widespread flowers of the spring. Other names for this month’s celestial body include the Full Sprouting Grass Moon, the Egg Moon, and among coastal tribes the Full Fish Moon, because this was the time that the shad swam upstream to spawn.

Unfortunately, the "pink" is in name only and the moon will not actually appear pink, lol. Well...PROBABLY not, anyway since sometimes under certain conditions, pollution can cause the moon to take on an eerie salmon glow.

Wild Ground Phlox, Weston Nurseries

Also, unfortunately for us here in WV and the rest of North America, we're going to miss out on the partial lunar eclipse that will accompany our Full Pink Moon!  Don't fret...even to those who will get to see it in Asia, and parts of Africa and Europe are expected to be disappointing at the underwhelming performance as over the course of almost 2 hours the moon's northern hemisphere pushes ever-so-gradually into the Earth's partial shadow, called the penumbra. The outer two-thirds of this are too subtle to detect; but then perhaps by 3:30 p.m. EST you may realize you are beginning to detect the ever-so-slight gradient of a soft grey darkening around the top of the moon.

Moon Names


UPDATE:  According to the local news, in a complete twist the fate, the Pink Moon actually DID take on a pinkish glow for awhile!