Staff
| Eugene Register-Guard
What does a ‘Pink Moon’ mean?
Despite its nickname, April’s full moon will not appear pink. Find out how the Pink Moon gets its nickname and what it means for this time of year.
Just over two weeks after the total solar eclipse in early April, Oregon, and the rest of the world, will witness another cosmic event over the next few days. This time, the full “pink” moon will rise in the evening sky on Tuesday.
But barring some unforeseen atmospheric phenomena — such as wildfire smoke — the moon won’t actually appear pink to our eyes. Instead, the moon should be “its usual golden color near the horizon and fade to a bright white as it glides overhead,” according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac.
The full moon in April instead gets its name from one of the earliest widespread flowers of spring. Here’s what to know:
When is April’s full moon in Oregon?
The pink moon will appear on Tuesday night. Across Oregon, the moon will rise at approximately 7 p.m. on Tuesday and set around 6 a.m. on Wednesday. It will be at peak height in the sky at 12:40 a.m.
In Eugene and Salem, the moon rises at 7:10 p.m.
Visit www.almanac.com/astronomy/moon-rise-and-set to find the exact rising and setting times based on ZIP codes.
Barring any evening clouds, Oregonians should be able to see the moon toward the northwest in the sky.
To our eyes, the moon will appear full for about three days, from Monday morning to Thursday morning, NASA said.
Why is it called the pink moon?
For millennia, people across the world, including Native Americans, named the months after nature’s cues. Each full moon has its own name.
According to NASA, the Maine Farmers’ Almanac began publishing Native American names for full moons in the 1930s and these names are now widely known and used.
The full moon in April is known as the pink moon, named after the herb moss pink, also known as creeping phlox, moss phlox or mountain phlox. This is a plant native to the eastern United States that is one of the earliest widespread flowers of spring.
Creeping phlox thrives in sandy or rocky soils and is often used as a ground cover, the Farmer’s Almanac said.
NASA said other names for this moon include the sprouting grass moon, the egg moon and — among coastal tribes of North America — the fish moon because this was when the shad swam upstream to spawn.
Other things to spot in the sky
Those already gazing up at the pink moon might have a chance to observe the annual Lyrid meteor shower, which peak between Sunday evening and Tuesday morning.
However, due to the brightness of the full moon, it’s likely that few of the falling stars will be visible. It is easier to spot meteors in a moonless night sky.
USA TODAY contributed to this article.
