ONCE a month, a full moon brightens up Britain’s skies.
They happen every 29 days and April’s offering is the Pink Moon. Here’s everything you need to know…
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What is special about the Pink Moon?
We may no longer follow a moon calendar, but April’s Pink Moon is still very significant in dictating religious holidays and other dates.
Easter falls on the first Sunday following the first full moon after the Spring Equinox – which was April 4 this year.
Because of its reliance on the seasons and the moons, Easter can fall as early as March 22 and as late as April 25.
While the April full Moon dictates the beginning of the Jewish Passover, and the Hindu Hanuman festival.
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What is the Pink Moon and when is it?
This year’s Pink Moon will be visible on the evening of April 26 and into April 27.
It should look bright and full in the sky but won’t necessarily be pink.
The practice of naming full moons dates back to the Native Americans.
Tribes kept track of their seasons with distinctive names for each of the full moons.
Because a moon month is slightly shorter than our calendar months, the dates of the full moons shift slightly from year-to-year.
But their months stay the same, and every year we see a Pink Moon in April.
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The term comes from the moss pink herb, or wild ground phlox flower, which is widespread by spring.
Other names for this particular orb include the Full Sprouting Grass Moon, the Egg Moon or the Full Fish Moon.
So you shouldn’t necessarily expect it to look pink.
Note down April 26 as the evening to look for the Pink Moon but expect it to look large for a few days around this date.
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