04/12/2025
Don’t miss it!
Get ready, a Pink Full Moon is rising – and it's showing up with a few surprises 💅
Step outside on Saturday, April 12, and you’ll catch the fourth full moon of 2025 rising above the horizon. Known as the Pink Moon, it’s the first full moon of spring — and this year, it’s showing up with a few surprises.
Despite the name, the moon won’t actually glow pink (like you see in this image). That title comes from Phlox subulata, or moss pink — one of the first wildflowers to bloom in early spring. But don’t be disappointed: when the moon rises just after sunset, it can take on a soft golden or rose-colored hue, thanks to the way Earth’s atmosphere bends and scatters the light. It’s fleeting, but beautiful.
This Pink Moon reaches peak illumination at 8:22 p.m. EDT on April 12 (that’s 00:22 GMT on April 13). For the best view, find a wide-open area and look east just after sunset — when the moon is low, it appears larger than usual due to the Moon illusion.
Look closely, and you’ll spot a brilliant companion nearby: Spica, the brightest star in the Virgo constellation. The two will rise together, side by side — the moon glowing steadily, Spica flickering like a cosmic jewel.
This is also a micromoon, meaning the moon is at its farthest point from Earth. It will look a little smaller and dimmer than usual — the quiet opposite of a supermoon. And as the Paschal Moon, it holds another role: it’s the moon that sets the date of Easter.
So if the skies are clear, don’t miss it.
Learn more about the curious thing that is April's Full Pink Moon: https://www.almanac.com/content/full-moon-april
👉See more space comics & infographics: www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/
