Super Pink Moon 2020: the April supermoon over Scotland - and when it looked biggest

Last (7 April) saw a so-called ‘Pink Moon’ rising over the skies of the UK
(Photo: FRANK RUMPENHORST/DPA/AFP via Getty Images)(Photo: FRANK RUMPENHORST/DPA/AFP via Getty Images)
(Photo: FRANK RUMPENHORST/DPA/AFP via Getty Images)

But what is the Pink Moon?

What is a Pink Moon?

In recent years, traditional Native American names for the full moons have become more common in modern day parlance.

According to the Maine Farmer's Almanac - which first published the Native American names for the full Moons in the 1930s - the name is derived from one of the first flowers to bloom in spring; the Wild Ground Phlox, which also went by the name “moss pink.”

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The first full moon of April - which also goes by names such as Sprouting Grass Moon, Egg Moon or Fish Moon - is traditionally a sign of both springtime and Easter.

Will the moon actually be pink?

While pink moons aren’t noticeably pink, the can appear to change colour very slightly, if you live further north.

The Moon orbits around the Earth on almost the exact same plane as the Earth orbits around the Sun. That means that when the Sun appears highest in the sky near the summer solstice in June, the full Moon opposite our nearest star is generally at its lowest in the sky.

At Europe's higher latitudes - we're talking places like northern Norway and Finland; unfortunately the UK is entirely too low to see the phenomenon - this means the full Moon shines through more atmosphere than at other times of the year, which can sometimes give it a reddish tint; it's the same science that makes sunsets and sunrises appear a deep shade of red.

What is a supermoon?

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The moon - our planet's only natural satellite - actually follows an elliptical orbit around the Earth.

This means that at certain points on its egg-shaped path, it can be further away, or closer to us - a differential of about 30,000 miles.

The closest point is called the perigee, and the furthest is the apogee. When a full moon falls on the perigee, it appears far bigger and brighter in the sky and becomes known as a supermoon.

The phenomenon is not actually that rare, and this month's is the second in a trilogy that began with March's full moon, and ends with a third on 7 May.

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During a supermoon, the diameter of the moon can appear to be about 14 per cent greater than an average full moon.

When will the moon be biggest?

The full moon was in the night sky on the evening of Tuesday 7 April, though was technically at its fullest at 3.35am in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

It rose at around 6.55pm on Tuesday evening and didn’t set again until about 6.56am the next morning, meaning it was visible in all its glory throughout the night – clear skies permitting of course.

For the best effect for future supermoons – and the closest you’ll get to witnessing the spectacular images seen across social media following such an event – you’ll want to look east shortly after moonrise.

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“When the moon is near the horizon, it can look unnaturally large when viewed through trees, buildings, or other foreground objects," say NASA.

"The effect is an optical illusion, but that fact doesn’t take away from the experience."

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