Pink Moon: Easter weekend will gain attraction in the night sky

April’s supermoon will light up the sky all weekend, and while it’s called a pink moon, it’s not really that color.

The pink moon will appear full from early Friday (15) to Monday (18) morning, according to NASA. It will be at its fullest on Saturday, April 16 at 3:55 pm (Brasilia time).

The moon is associated with the spring flowering of the Phlox subulata plant, a pink wildflower native to eastern North America, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac. The plant is commonly known as moss phlox or mountain phlox.

The Native American names for the April full moon were homages to spring in the Northern Hemisphere, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac The Dakota tribe called it the “moon when streams are navigable again”, while the Tlingit tribe called it the “blooming moon of plants and shrubs,” in reference to the end of winter and the resurgence of plant growth.

The pink moon also aligns with several religious holidays, according to NASA. It is called the paschal moon in the Christian ecclesiastical calendar, because it is the full moon before Easter.

For Hindus, this moon marks Hanuman Jayanti, the celebration of the Hindu monkey deity Lord Hanuman. The pink moon is Bak Poya for Buddhists, especially in Sri Lanka, and commemorates Buddha’s visit to the island country, where Buddha avoided a war by settling a dispute between chiefs.

Unlike the last two years, April’s pink moon will not be a supermoon. However, it still comes with its own folklore. According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, “The full moon in April brings frost. If the full moon turns pale, expect rain.”

“There is certainly a chance of rain or frost this weekend. There’s also a chance of neither,” said the meteorologist at the CNN Judson Jones. “But in some areas of the Midwest, people will see below-average morning temperatures this weekend, which could leave them wishing for a pale moon.”

After the pink moon, there are still eight full moon events in 2022, with two of them qualifying as supermoons. Here is a list of the remaining moons for 2022, according to the United States Farmers’ Almanac:

  • May 16: Moon of Flowers;
  • June 14: Strawberry Moon;
  • July 13: Salmon Moon;
  • August 11: Red Moon;
  • September 10: Full moon;
  • October 9: Hunter’s Moon;
  • November 8: beaver moon;

While these are the popularized names associated with monthly full moons, the meaning of each may vary among Native American tribes.

Lunar and solar eclipses

There will be two total lunar eclipses and two partial solar eclipses in 2022, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac.

Partial solar eclipses occur when the Moon passes in front of the Sun, but only blocks part of its light. Make sure you wear proper eclipse glasses to safely view solar eclipses, as sunlight can be harmful to your eyes.

A partial solar eclipse on April 30 can be seen by those in southern South America, the southeastern Pacific Ocean and the Antarctic Peninsula. Another one on October 25 will be visible to those in Greenland, Iceland, Europe, Northeast Africa, the Middle East, West Asia, India and West China. None of the partial solar eclipses will be visible from North America.

A lunar eclipse can only occur during a full moon, when the Sun, Earth, and Moon align and the moon passes into Earth’s shadow. The Earth casts two shadows on the Moon during the eclipse. The penumbra is the partial outer shade, and the umbra is the full, dark shade.

When the full moon moves into the Earth’s shadow, it darkens but does not disappear. Sunlight passing through Earth’s atmosphere illuminates the moon dramatically, turning it red — which is why this is often called a “blood moon”.

Depending on the weather conditions in your area, it can be rusty, brick-colored, or blood red.

This is because blue light undergoes stronger atmospheric scattering, so red light will be the most dominant color highlighted as light from the Sun passes through our atmosphere and casts it at the moon.

A total lunar eclipse will be visible to those in Europe, Africa, South America and North America (except for the Northwest regions) between 10:31 pm PT on May 15 and 3:52 am on May 16.

Another total lunar eclipse will also be on display for those in Asia, Australia, the Pacific, South America and North America on November 8 between 4:01 am and 9:58 am ET — but the moon will be setting for those in eastern parts of the world. North America.

meteor showers

This year started with the Quadrantid meteor shower in January, and the next meteor shower will peak later this month.

Here are the dates of 11 meteor showers to watch for in 2022:

  • Lyrids: April 21st to 22nd;
  • Eta Aquarids: May 4th to 5th;
  • Southern Delta Aquarids: July 29 to 30;
  • Alpha Capricornids: July 30th to 31st;
  • Perseids: August 11th to 12th;
  • Orionids: October 20th to 21st;
  • Southern Taurids: November 4th to 5th;
  • Northern Taurids: November 11th to 12th;
  • Leonidas: November 17th to 18th;
  • Geminids: December 13th to 14th;
  • Bears: December 21st to December 22nd.

If you live in an urban area, you can drive to a place that isn’t cluttered with city lights to get the best view.

Find an open area with a wide view of the sky. Make sure you have a chair or blanket so you can look up. And give your eyes about 20 to 30 minutes — without looking at your phone or other electronics — to adjust to the darkness so meteors are easier to spot.

Source: CNN Brasil

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