April's full moon will light up the sky this entire weekend, and while it's called a pink moon, it's not actually that color.
According to NASA, the Pink Moon will appear full from early Friday to Monday morning. It will be at its peak on Saturday, April 16 at 2:55 pm. ET.
According to The Old Farmers Almanac, the moon is associated with the springtime blooms of the Phlox subulata plant, native to eastern North America. The plant is commonly known as creeping phlox, moss phlox or mountain phlox.
According to The Old Farmers' Almanack, the Native American names for April's full moon were a tribute to the spring season. The Dakota tribe called it "the moon when the streams are navigable again", while the Tlingit tribe called it "the budding moon of plants and shrubs", in reference to the end of winter and the resumption of plant growth.
According to NASA, the Pink Moon also aligns with several religious holidays. It is called the Paschal Moon in the Christian Church calendar, as it is the full moon before Easter. For Hindus, this moon signifies Hanuman Jayanti, a celebration of the Hindu monkey god Lord Hanuman. The Pink Moon is a bak poya for Buddhists, particularly in Sri Lanka, and commemorates the Buddha's visit to the island country, where the Buddha prevented war by settling a dispute between chiefs.
Unlike the last two years, this April's Pink Moon will not be a supermoon. However, it still comes with its own folklore. According to The Old Farmers Almanack, "A full moon in April brings frost. If the full moon turns yellow, expect rain."
"There's definitely a chance of rain or frost this weekend. Neither is a possibility," CNN meteorologist Judson Jones said. "But in some areas of the Midwest, people will see slightly below average morning temperatures this weekend, which may leave them wishing for a pale moon."
After the Pink Moon, there are still eight full moon events to occur in 2022, two of which qualify as supermoons. Here is a list of the remaining moons for 2022, as per the Farmers' Almanac:
- May 16: Flower moon
- June 14: Strawberry moon
- July 13: Buck moon
- August 11: Sturgeon moon
- September 10: Harvest moon
- October 9: Hunter's moon
- November 8: Beaver moon
- December 7: Cold moon
Although these are popular names associated with the monthly full moon, the significance of each one may differ among Native American tribes.
Lunar and solar eclipse
According to The Old Farmers Almanack, there will be a total of two lunar eclipses and two partial solar eclipses in 2022.
A partial solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes in front of the Sun but blocks some of its light. Be sure to wear proper eclipse glasses to watch a solar eclipse safely, as sunlight can be harmful to the eyes.
A partial solar eclipse on April 30 can be seen in southern South America, the southeast Pacific Ocean and the Antarctic Peninsula. The second will be visible to people in Greenland, Iceland, Europe, northeast Africa, the Middle East, western Asia, India and western China on October 25. No partial solar eclipse will be visible from North America.
A lunar eclipse can only occur during a full moon when the Sun, Earth, and Moon are aligned, and the Moon passes into Earth's shadow. During an eclipse, two shadows of the Earth fall on the Moon. The penumbra is the partial outer shadow, and the umbra is the full, dark shadow.
When the full moon moves into Earth's shadow, it becomes dark, but it will not disappear. Sunlight passing through Earth's atmosphere brightens the Moon dramatically, turning it red – which is why it is often called a "blood moon".
Depending on the weather conditions in your area, it may be rusty, brick colored or blood red.
This is because blue light undergoes strong atmospheric scattering, so red light will be the predominant color, as sunlight passes through our atmosphere and casts it onto the Moon.
Between 9:31 am, a total lunar eclipse will be visible in Europe, Africa, South America and North America (except the Northwest regions). on May 15 at 2:52 p.m. ET on May 16.
Another total lunar eclipse will also appear on November 8 for those in Asia, Australia, the Pacific, South America, and North America between 3:01 a.m. ET and 8:58 a.m. ET — but the Moon will not be visible to those in the US. will be installed. Eastern Region of North America.
Meteor shower
This year began with the Quadrantid meteor shower in January, and the next meteor shower will peak later this month.
Here are the peak dates to see the remaining 11 rainfall in 2022:
• Lyrids: April 21 to 22
• Eta Aquariids: May 4 to 5
• Southern delta Aquariids: July 29 to 30
• Alpha Capricornids: July 30 to 31
• Perseids: August 11 to 12
• Orionids: October 20 to 21
• Southern Taurids: November 4 to 5
• Northern Taurids: November 11 to 12
• Leonids: November 17 to 18
• Geminids: December 13 to 14
• Ursids: December 21 to 22
If you live in an urban area, you may want to drive to a place that isn't littered with city lights to get the best view.
Find an open area with a wide view of the sky. Make sure you have a chair or blanket so you can look straight up. And give your eyes about 20 to 30 minutes -- without looking at your phone or other electronics -- to adjust to the darkness so that meteors are easier to detect.