'Pink super moon': how to see the largest and brightest moon in 2020

The largest and brightest full moon of 2020 is called the “pink supermoon” and will be visible in the sky on the evening of Tuesday, April 7, writes USA Today.

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"The largest full moon of 2020 will be visible all night - visible in the east after sunset on April 7, rising to its highest level around midnight and setting in the west around sunrise on April 8," said expert Bruce McClure from EarthSky.

According to EarthSky, the full moon can be observed from 22:35 on EDT on April 7th.

This April, the moon will be its closest to our planet - and therefore the largest of the year. The April Moon is the second of three notable astronomical events that will occur in a row: after March's Worm Moon and before May's full Flower Moon, which will appear in the sky on May 7.

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What is super moon?

A supermoon is a phenomenon in which the moon is especially close to the Earth during the full moon. The Moon's proximity to Earth naturally makes it very large and visually bright—14% larger and 30% brighter than the full moon at its farthest point from Earth.

The term "super moon" was coined in 1979 by astrologer Richard Nolle. Since then, it has become increasingly popular and understandable for the media. According to NASA, today the media uses it to describe what astronomers call the Perigee full moon: a full moon that occurs when the moon is at the closest point in its orbit around the Earth.

Due to the optical effect known as the moon illusion, a full moon can appear huge when it rises behind distant objects on the horizon. Therefore, the super moon looks especially impressive.

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Why is the April moon called the “pink supermoon”?

According to the Old Farmer's Almanac, the full moon in April often coincided with the blooming of the wild pink flower Phlox subulata, native to eastern North America. The wildflower is commonly called creeping or awl-shaped phlox, and also "pink moss".

For millennia, people all over the world, including Native Americans, have been calling the months according to one or another of the signals of nature. Old Farmer's Almanac says that the full moon names in North America were given by Native Americans who lived in the north and east of the United States.

Each full moon has its own name, from the January wolf moon to the December cold moon.

Read also on ForumDaily:

From the Blue Moon to the Cosmic Kiss: The Most Anticipated Astronomical Phenomena of 2020

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