The Color Of Tonight’s Full ‘Pink’ Supermoon May Surprise You

Monday’s full “pink” supermoon won’t be a once-in-a-blue-moon experience.

Sure, a bright, full moon will rise to illuminate the night sky (which will be at its fullest on Monday at 11:32 p.m. Eastern, according to NASA) — but it will not boast a rosy color.

“Before you get your hopes up, this ‘Super Pink Moon’ won’t actually look ‘super pink’ — or any hue of pink, really,” the Farmer’s Almanac states. “The Moon will be its usual golden color near the horizon and fade to a bright white as it glides overhead.”

There is a special name for each month’s full moon, according to the Almanac. April’s full moon is named after the herb “moss pink,” a plant that is native to the eastern United States that is one of the earliest, widespread springtime blooms. 

April’s moon has also been referred to as the Sprouting Grass Moon, the Egg Moon, the Fish Moon and the Paschal Moon, according to NASA.

Yet despite the deceptive name, there are other reasons to be over the moon about Monday’s pink supermoon. Supermoons appear to be bigger and more luminous in the sky because they are closer to Earth than usual. This full moon will also be the first of two supermoons in 2021, per NASA. Another will occur on May 26 and appear slightly larger.