Saturday 4 April 2020

April’s ‘pink’ supermoon will be the brightest moon of 2020



MOST OF YOUR regular activities are probably canceled due to social distancing rules, but stargazing is one event that’s always in full swing. If there’s one thing that can be counted on in this crazy world, it’s a superlative lunar event. And in this case, it’s the brightest supermoon of the year.

On April 7, the “pink” supermoon, the brightest supermoon of 2020, will light up the skies. Supermoons occur when a full moon coincides with perigee, meaning the moon orbits closest to Earth. The result is a big moon that looks fuller than normal. Because the full moon falls on the exact day of perigee that month, it’ll be the most impressive. The “pink” refers not to the moon’s color, but supposedly to the pink wildflowers called creeping phlox that bloom in early spring.
Instead of pink, the moon will project a golden-orange glow at its lowest, and then brighten and whiten as it rises in the sky. Despite its rather unextraordinary coloring, the moon will still appear larger and brighter than at any other time this month, so it’s still worth getting outside to catch a glimpse — as long as you stay six feet away from others, of course.
The peak will be at 10:35 PM ET. 

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