What is a pink moon?

The rare pink micromoon returned to the UK’s skies this week. But why is it important? And is it actually pink?

The pink moon, unfortunately, does not mean that the moon will actually appear pink. Instead, the naming of said moon comes from ancient traditions.

It is important, astrophysically, because it is the moon at its farthest point from Earth and appears much smaller than usual.

Professor Christopher Collins, an emeritus astrophysics professor from LJMU's Astrophysics Research Institute, said: “The naming of the pink moon comes from Native American and European traditions.

“The April full moon is called the pink moon. It is not named because it appears pink, but because April is the time of early spring when flowers begin to bloom, particularly the wildflower moss pink which covers large parts of Northern America this time of year.

“This year’s pink moon is also called a micromoon because the full moon is near its farthest point from Earth, known as the apogee phase, which makes it appear smaller and slightly dimmer.”

For optimum visibility of the pink micromoon, go to a vast, open space with minimal light pollution. The moon will be visible to the naked eye, but specialist equipment could also help view it in more detail.

So a Pink Moon full Moon won't look pink, but, as pointed our Professor Collins, if you get a clear horizon and are able to see it low down, you might notice the Moon looks slightly orange.

This is to do with how Earth's thick atmosphere scatters light, making a Moon close to the horizon appear redder than usual.

Photo credit: Pete Lawrence