THE sky lights up at night as the moon beams down when it is at its fullest.
And we’ve put together a quick guide on everything you need to know about full Moons and when they are – including the Super Pink Moon.
2
What is a full Moon?
The Moon is little more than a rock orbiting Earth.
Importantly, it doesn’t produce any visible light of its own.
So when we see the Moon, it’s only thanks to light from other objects (like the Earth or Sun) hitting it, and then bouncing off down to our eyes.
The Moon, the Earth and the Sun are constantly changing positions, which means we see different parts of the Moon at any given time.
2
When the Moon is between the Earth and the Sun, its rear side is lit up – leaving it in darkness for humanity.
That’s called a new Moon.
And when the Moon is on the opposite side of the Earth to the Sun, it’s fully lit – giving us a full Moon.
There are various phases in between these two, with a total cycle of about 29.5 days.
When is the next full Moon?
The next full Moon in 2021 takes place on May 26 and in the UK the best time to see it is 11.32pm.
A full Moon at this time of the year
It’s set to take place on Wednesday, May 26 – and is known as a Flower Moon.
That’s the traditional name for the fifth full Moon of the year, and doesn’t mean anything in particular about its shape, size or colour.
However, it’s expected to be big and bright, and sport an orange-gold hue.
That’s because it’s a Super Moon, a reasonably rare lunar spectacle.
GOING UP
Bitcoin price SURGES after new Elon Musk tweet, plus Dogecoin & Ethereum latest
LOOK UP
Lunar eclipse 2021 updates: Stargazers prepare for Blood Moon and total eclipse
RED AHEAD
What time is the lunar eclipse 2021 and how can I see May’s super blood moon?
OUT OF THIS WORLD
Pics show Super Flower Blood Moon lighting up skies ahead of eclipse
MOON & THE AAHS!
The biggest and brightest full moon of the year will be seen today
SAFE SEARCH
Google now lets you password-protect your searches to shield your history
Full Moon dates 2021 – here’s the full list
There are 12 full Moons to spot in 2021, each with its own unique name.
Here’s the full list:
- January 28 – Wolf Moon
- February 27 – Snow Moon
- March 28 – Worm Moon
- April 27 – Pink Moon
- May 26 – Flower Moon
- June 24 – Strawberry Moon
- July 24 – Buck Moon
- August 22 – Sturgeon Moon
- September 21 – Corn Moon / Harvest Moon
- October 20 – Hunter’s Moon
- November 19 – Beaver Moon
- December 19 – Cold Moon
Of these, there are two Supermoons, where the full Moon appears bigger and brighter than usual.
The two official Supermoons are on April 27 and May 26.
What is a Super Moon and why does it appear?
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online Tech & Science team? Email us at [email protected]
This post first appeared on Thesun.co.uk
