EYES TO THE SKIES FOR APRIL’S FULL MOON - THE “PINK” MOON!💖🌕🔭✨️ - 01-02/04/2026
Tonight, on the evening of the 1st into the morning of the 2nd (weather permitting) we will hopefully be treated to views of April’s beautiful full moon which is known to some as the “Pink” Moon.
Although the full Moon may not always be the astrophotographer's best of friends, the full Moon always makes for a beautiful sight in the night sky and is an important marker of the seasons for many people.
If you would like to know more about this month’s full moon, plus when and where to see the Pink Moon, please read on…
WHAT IS A FULL MOON?
A full Moon occurs when the Moon’s position in its orbit around Earth, is at its furthest distance from the Sun (almost on the opposite side of the Earth compared to the Sun). This event, when the Earth stands almost directly between the Sun and Moon is also known as a Syzygy. When this happens, the side of the Moon that can be seen from Earth is completely illuminated, giving it the appearance of being full.
On rare occasions the Earth can stand directly in between the Sun and Moon resulting in a lunar eclipse.
FULL MOON NAMES
The full moon of each month has been given names by many cultures and peoples throughout history. The most commonly known full moon names are derived from Native American tribes. The Native American tribes gave distinctions to moons based on the time of year and the weather’s relationships to crop harvests and appearance of certain animals or animal behaviours.
THE "PINK" MOON
Traditionally April’s full moon is known as The Pink Moon. The reason for this is sadly not because the moon will turn pink, but because this time of year was known to correspond with early spring time blooms of a certain wildflower known as wild ground phlox, also known as “moss pink”. Thanks to this seasonal association, this full Moon came to be called the “Pink” Moon!
OTHER ALTERNATIVE APRIL FULL MOON NAMES
Whilst most commonly known as the pink moon, there are plenty of alternative full moon names, mostly referencing to the onset of spring.
Some of these names are as follows; The Breaking Ice Moon (Algonquin), The Moon When the Streams Are Again Navigable (Dakota) in reference of the melting ice and increased mobility of the early spring season, Budding Moon of Plants and Shrubs (Tlingit) and Moon of the Red Grass Appearing (Oglala) which is in reference to the impending abundance of plant growth.
Other names refer to the reappearance of certain animals, including Moon When the Ducks Come Back (Lakota), Moon When the Geese Lay Eggs (Dakota), and Frog Moon (Cree). Along the same vein, Sucker Moon (Anishinaabe) notes the time to harvest sucker fish, which return to streams or lake shallows to spawn. According to legend, now is the time when this fish comes back from the spirit world to purify bodies of water and the creatures living in them. (This name may also be applied to the February Moon, to honour the sacrifice of the sucker fish to feed the Anishinaabe peoples, traditionally helping them to survive the winter.)
WHEN AND WHERE WILL THE FULL MOON OCCUR?
This month, the Moon reaches syzygy with the Earth and Sun at around 03:00 BST in the early morning of the 2nd of April.
This means that the night that the Moon will appear most full will be the night of the 1st into the morning of the 2nd.
The Moon will rise in the early evening of the 1st at around 19:19 BST towards the East. As the night progresses the Moon will climb in the sky travelling towards the South where the Moon will reach its highest point in the sky at an altitude of 27 degrees at roughly 00:57 BST on the morning of the 2nd. Following this, the Moon will begin to descend travelling towards the West where it will set in the morning skies at around 06:19 BST.
Remember that you don’t really need to know the exact time of peak illumination to enjoy viewing the full Moon, as the Moon will appear full throughout the night and on the nights surrounding the peak.
WHERE AMONG THE STARS CAN THE MOON BE FOUND?
On the night of the 1st our natural satellite will be hitching a ride in the zodiacal constellation of Virgo – the maiden.
More specifically, the Moon can be found around 6 degrees below the star Porrima, and roughly 12 degrees to the right of Spica – the brightest star of the constellation Virgo.
The zodiacal constellation of Virgo can be found in between the constellations of Leo and Libra and below the bright star Arcturus.
LUNAR OBSERVATION
The great thing about observing the Moon is that you don’t have to go and find a particularly dark location to view it. As the Moon is such a bright object in the sky, you can view it from brighter locations, even from the centre of a heavily light polluted city. Weather permitting of course.
MOON RISE/SET – MOON ILLUSION
It's always lovely to watch the moon rise/set, so if you can head out to witness the Moon rise or set, please do. Every time the Moon rises and sets it takes on a beautiful golden, amber colour and appears larger at this time too, due to an optical illusion known as the ‘Moon illusion’. It's truly special to witness. As it rises and glides higher, it’s colour will transition into a bright white.
Sometimes the Moon can appear even more orangey red than usual too! The hue of the moon typically depends on atmospheric conditions wherever you’re viewing it from. Things like clouds, dust, haze, smoke or pollution can cause the moon to appear different colours by scattering much of the blue light shining onto our natural satellite, leaving it with a more reddish tone.
WHAT ELSE IS IN THE NIGHT SKY THROUGHOUT APRIL?
If you would like to know more about the rest of the celestial treats that can be seen in the skies throughout April, please head to our YouTube channel to watch our Night Sky Guide video for April 2026.
SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCES AND PHOTOGRAPHS!
We always love hearing about your celestial adventures and seeing your photographs! If you head out to witness or capture photos of this special celestial event or any other sights in the night sky, please feel free to share your stories and photos in the comments below. 😊
GOOD LUCK AND CLEAR SKIES
This month’s full Moon will be a beautiful sight, and if you can, we recommend heading out to witness this April’s full Moon!
Good luck if you head out folks. Wrap up warm if you do. Any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.
Clear skies 💖
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