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What is a Pink Moon?

In recent years, traditional Native American names for the full moons have become more common in modern day parlance. April’s full Moon often corresponded with the early springtime blooms of a certain wildflower native to eastern North America: Phlox subulata—commonly called creeping phlox or moss phlox—which also went by the name “moss pink.” Thanks to this seasonal association, this full Moon came to be called the Pink Moon! According to the Maine Farmer's Almanac - which first published the Native American names for the full Moons in the 1930s - the name is derived from one of the first flowers to bloom in spring; the Wild Ground Phlox, which also went by the name “moss pink.”

Will the moon actually be pink? While the moon won't be noticeably pink, it may actually change colour slightly, if you live further north.

The Moon orbits around the Earth on almost the exact same plane as the Earth orbits around the Sun. That means that when the Sun appears highest in the sky near the summer solstice in June, the full Moon opposite our nearest star is generally at its lowest in the sky.

At Europe's higher latitudes - unfortunately the UK is entirely too low to see the phenomenon - this means the full Moon shines through more atmosphere than at other times of the year, which can sometimes give it a reddish tint; it's the same science that makes sunsets and sunrises appear a deep shade of red.

What is a 'supermoon'? The moon - our planet's only natural satellite - actually follows an elliptical orbit around the Earth. This means that at certain points on its egg-shaped path, it can be further away, or closer to us - a differential of about 30,000 miles. The closest point is called the perigee, and the furthest is the apogee. When a full moon falls on the perigee, it appears far bigger and brighter in the sky and becomes known as a supermoon. The phenomenon is not actually that rare, and this month's is the second in a trilogy that began with March's full moon, and ends with a third on May 7. During a supermoon, the diameter of the moon can appear to be about 14 per cent greater than an average full moon.

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