Today marks a big day here on earth and in space. Not only is April 1 the first day of the month, and April Fools’ Day, it’s also the day Apple was founded 50 years ago, and the same evening Artemis II launches its NASA’s mission to the moon while April’s full pink moon rises in the night sky.
Here’s what to know about when, where, and how to see it.
What time does the ‘pink moon’ peak?
Spring’s first full “pink moon” peaks tonight, Wednesday April 1, at 10:12 p.m. ET., just hours after the launch window opens for the Artemis II mission to the moon, according to Space.com.
Where does the ‘pink moon’ get its name?
This so-called “pink moon” gets its name from the wildflower phlox subulata, or “moss pink,” which blooms around this time each spring in North America, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac. The Cherokee, Hopi, and Assiniboine indigenous communities have a number of other names for it including: “kawohni,” or flower moon; “kwiyamuyaw,” or windbreak moon; and “tabehatawi,” or frog moon, per CNN. However, its color is less bright pink then grey, or even may appear red or orange some places, the BBC reported.
How to view this ‘pink moon’
To view the “pink moon,” look to the eastern horizon tonight at dusk, right after sunset. It will also be visible at that time on Thursday, April 2. Here is a tool to determine moonrise and moonset times for your location, from Timeanddate.com.
Stay tuned: the next full moon of the year, the “flower moon,” will peak on May 1.