I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but it has been surprisingly sunny and relatively warm over the past few weeks. And while I’m inclined to be suspicious of it all (could this be the ‘Spring of Deception‘?), I’m doing my best to make the most of the sunshine while it lasts. With what seems to be the arrival of Spring also comes a delightful celestial event. This weekend, a full ‘Pink Moon’ will glow in the sky over Londonmarking the arrival of Spring’s beautiful blooms.
Let’s be real – we all love a full moon. Who hasn’t been walking down the street at night (drunk or otherwise) and stopped to just stare at the moon for a bit? But did you know that each full moon has its own identity?
In March, we had the ‘Blood Moon‘ (as well as a rare partial solar eclipse). And this April we will get the ‘Pink Moon’ illuminating our fair city. And yes, obviously, the ‘Pink Moon’ will also glow over other cities and countries. But this is Secret London, and we’re a bit narcissistic, so we do tend to focus on ourselves in these articles…
When will the ‘Pink Moon’ be visible?
The ‘Pink Moon’ will rise over London on the evening of Sunday, April 12, 2025. It will rise just after 9pmand should be bold and bright in the sky. According to Royal Museums Greenwich, the moon will be at its brightest at 1:22amearly in the morning on April 13, 2025.
The moon will not rise particularly high in the sky, so would-be moon-watchers will want to have a clear view of the horizon from their vantage point.
Will the moon actually be pink?
Unfortunately, no. The moon will not actually be pink. The name ‘Pink Moon’ is not actually an indicator of any colour change in the moon.
Well then, why is it called the ‘Pink Moon’?
The name of the April full moon references the arrival of Spring, in particular the blooming flowers that start to be seen across the Northern Hemisphere. More specifically, it’s named for the moss pink herbone of the earliest and most widespread Spring blooms (especially in America). The bloom is also known as the creeping phlox, moss phlox, or mountain phlox.
The name comes (along with a number of other moon names and terms) from The Maine Farmers’ Almanac, in America. In the 1930s, the almanac started noting down and using moon names they heard being used by some Native Americans. April’s full moon is also referred to as the ‘Sprouting Grass Moon’, the ‘Egg Moon’, or the ‘Fish Moon’, as well as the ‘Pesach’ or ‘Passover Moon’.
A micromoon
There’s even more to be excited about for stargazers and moon lovers with the April full moon. This month’s celestial sight will be a ‘micromoon‘ (in contrast to the more popular ‘supermoon’). While it will still shine bright in the sky, it will appear smaller than usual.
According to BBC’s Sky at Night, there’s even more to see besides the moon. The moon will also be located near Spica “one of the brightest stars in the springtime night sky.” That’s two stunning sights in the night-time sky for the price of one!
When will the next full moon be?
Following April’s ‘Pink Moon’, the next full moon to grace our skies will be on May 12, 2025. This is also known as the ‘Flower Moon’.
