Pink Moon 2023: Date, Meaning, and Other Celestial Highlights

Russell Kidson
Apr 5, 2023
Updated • Apr 5, 2023
Misc
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17

On Thursday, April 6, 2023, the Pink Moon, also known as the full moon of April, will be shining close to the bright star Spica at its fullest.


 

This moon is named after the pink phlox wildflowers that typically bloom in North America during April. It will also appear bright and full on Wednesday and Friday.

April's full moon goes by various other names, including the Breaking Ice Moon, Budding Moon, Awakening Moon, and Egg Moon. For many Anishinaabeg, or Ojibwe, Indigenous people of the Great Lakes region, it is called Popogami Giizis, or Broken Snowshoe Moon, according to the Center for Native American Studies.

In addition to its other names, this month's full moon is also referred to as the Pesach or Passover Moon and the Paschal Moon due to its association with religious festivals. The Jewish festival of Passover begins at sunset on Wednesday, April 5, and ends at nightfall on Thursday, April 13, 2023. The date of the Paschal Moon is used to calculate the date of Easter, which falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon of spring. Western Christianity will celebrate Easter on Sunday, April 9, 2023, which is the Sunday after the Pink Moon. Eastern Orthodox Easter will occur a week later on Sunday, April 16, according to NASA.

The full moon also holds significance in other cultures and religions. In the Hindu lunisolar calendar, this full moon is celebrated as the Hanuman Jayanti festival, while for Buddhists in Sri Lanka, it is known as Bak Poya.

The optimal time to observe the full moon rise in the east is on Thursday, April 6, shortly after sunset. Check the times of moonrise and moonset for your location and find a location with a clear, low view of the eastern horizon.

Related: Introducing the 4 Artemis II Astronauts

According to NASA, the bright star Spica, located in the constellation Virgo, will be situated about 8 degrees to the lower left of the Pink Moon on the night it is fullest. On the following night, Friday, April 7, the waning gibbous moon will be positioned just 3 degrees from Spica.

When the full moon is seen near the horizon during its rise or set, it appears orange due to a phenomenon called Rayleigh scattering. This occurs because the moon's light has to pass through more of the Earth's atmosphere to reach the observer, causing the shorter wavelengths of blue light to scatter when they encounter molecules in the atmosphere. Meanwhile, longer-wavelength reddish and orange light is less likely to be scattered and can more easily pass through. This is also why the sky appears blue and why sunrises and sunsets often have a reddish hue.

Following the Pink Moon, the next full moon is set to occur on May 5. Known as the Flower Moon, it is also referred to as the Corn Planting Moon and Milk Moon. During this full moon, there will be a penumbral lunar eclipse as the moon moves into the Earth's outer shadow in space.

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Comments

  1. Tom Hawack said on April 7, 2023 at 3:40 pm
    Reply

    @John G., you’ve spoken your truth, and you’ve done it freely. I exposed questions rather than answering them, at least fully, because of respect due to all should they adopt radical or even extremist positions. This said I quite agree with your definitions but less with your “global moral hypocrisy” because it closes doors and sets our conceptions of morality as universal standards : when you write “Radicalism is when you say your ideas and I don’t listen them because I hate your political side.” shouldn’t that include the Western World’s behavior regarding non-aligned countries and the Eastern World?

    We are thinking as idealists, sometimes as moralists. But are Geo-politics concerned by either? Should they? The famous post-WWII ‘Real-Politic’ was meant to consider facts rather than idealism, even than ethics should ethics’ definition vary from one culture to another : such an approach has perpetuated peace, at least in terms of war. Until Ukraine of course because there is no perfect equation to guide this planet, but we may legitimately imagine a planetary clash could have occurred much sooner without it.

    For my part I remain extremely cautious with definitions, not only as respect for others than mine but as well because I’m extremely aware of what certitudes may lead to in terms of my very thoughts and reasoning. Doubt is my intellectual credo, God my spiritualist one. The latter, in my case, is not in contradiction with the former. But I’m digressing.

    For now and for us all, in the area we fully master which is that of human relationships, respect, empathy and compassion contribute to a better world for us all. That’s maybe an exception to my chronic doubts :=)

    1. John G. said on April 7, 2023 at 10:11 pm
      Reply

      @Tom, thanks again, you always make me think about a lot of things!
      As one teacher of mine said to me, “you know you are wrong when stalin would agree”.
      See you on Monday, please do have a nice weekend! :]

  2. owl said on April 6, 2023 at 1:18 pm
    Reply

    There is no end to learning (from the unknown, and mysterious, or close encounters of the third kind) until life runs out.

    In the real world, our multiple senses are keenly attuned for the things around us, but the cyberspace of the virtual world tends to be narrowed down to a two-way channel of “what want to see, what want to know, and what want to say”.
    You in front of the screen,
    You’re going to be humanoid (a human-like creature or a humanoid robot)!
    Don’t just look at the screen, look at the night sky and “awaken your humanity”!

    Thanks to your article, my family has learned about the “global chronicle” of “this day” and gained some miscellaneous knowledge.

    Russell’s article delights the “senses”.
    A pleasant early summer breeze is blowing from Ghacks.

    1. Tom Hawack said on April 6, 2023 at 1:55 pm
      Reply

      I’m not sure the “cyberspace of the virtual world” is an explanation though it is certainly a fact and an amplifier of behaviors, attitudes as old as human beings are. We now have individual behaviors confronted to each other as never before : a debate between two is already different than within three, and three from within an audience. When the audience is planetary the amplification is such that it attracts — or not — one’s eagerness to speak loud as light attracts butterflies.

      Perhaps are the implications of this “cyberspace of the virtual world” (a planetary sociological phenomenon) themselves amplified by the dogma of a consumerist way of life, one that emphasizes on power, ability to achieve one’s aims (“Just do it”) but omits to propose/recall limits (“Do it but without harming anyone yourself included”).

      Within this sociological structure individuals’ psychology participate freely or not : “freedom of thoughts”. As always frustration together with the aim of being powerful explains many attitudes, but I think there’s more to it. Perhaps culture, one’s culture, knowledge has a lot to do with verbal/written violence, even if so-called “elites” may be as well violent though in a more peaceful relational way :=). I remember an American student who was asked what was his explanation of a country electing an extremist president and who answered “lack of education”. Education, not understood as knowing how to peal a peach with a knife and fork rather than biting it at the table of a “chic” dinner. Education then, that which focuses on how-to, how-to respect others, how to respect life and then only how to achieve one’s aims.

      1. Tom Hawack said on April 6, 2023 at 2:22 pm
        Reply

        Freedom of thoughts. I discovered some time ago that there is (was?) a tradition in (some) Jewish familes to have the kids advocate for and then against a given assertion, a societal fact, as if the parents would propose “Imagine you’re a lawyer. provide the arguments of defense than those of accusation”.

        Now, whover we are and given money triggers often deep reasoning more than cultural standards, someone tells you “I’ll make you rich if you find the right arguments to defend what i’m about to describe”. Imagine you fullfill the challenge. Imagine now the same person telling you “I”ll make you twice as wealthy if you find the right arguments to deny what i’ve previously described”

        Would that be a way to think freely?

      2. John G. said on April 7, 2023 at 1:35 pm
        Reply

        @Tom thanks for your always good thoughts and your high level and skills. However I need to say that the OECD’s 38 members are: Austria, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States.

        Now tell me which of them is the one that has no problem at all with the extremist ideologies that walk freely through their governments, being allies or doing their work in the opposition, or whatever other kind of combination depending of the time and the circumstances. None of them are pure gold for liberty, trust me. I wanted to write the weird political problems of all them however this is not the right place to expose the political miseries. Just look seriously the international section of the main digital or paper newspapers. :S

        PD. It’s obvious that are several more countries worst enough, for sure.

      3. Tom Hawack said on April 7, 2023 at 2:27 pm
        Reply

        @John G., there are undoubtedly winds of radicalism if not extremism, worldwide. Many if not all countries including those of the OECD are concerned, some at the government level some even at the head of state whilst posing themselves as democratic: paradoxically liberty includes liberty of all, or should it not? Many if not practically countriesall face radical movements, parties in their political establishment. Beyond all their democratic institutions allow radicalism to be established … democratically that is by the voters themselves.

        I think one question is that, old as democracy : is it conceivable that democratic institutions allow a non-democrat party and moreover candidate to participate which means potentially be elected?

        First : what is democracy and what is the criteria to assert that anyone, any political party is by essence not democratic, or is it not fully democratic, or is it anti-democratic?

        Second : what is radicalism, is it anti-democratic? I don’t think so provided its the people’s choice.

        Third : what is extremism, is it anti-democratic? I think it is in its very core, be it or not the people’s choice.

        Fourth : should democracy be the reference, the best, the only reference?

        With all this we need to clarify the very concept of democracy, radicalism and extremism.
        We need as well and above all ask ourselves if democratic institutions should or should not allow radical and extremist ideas, movements, parties to speak their truth.

        In terms of democratic idealism I personally believe that a democracy hence its institutions which would forbid any form of non-democratic (given we agree on what anti-democracy truly is!) would no longer be a democratic state.

        In terms of basic, emotional idealism I’d be tempted to consider forbidding the very right of anyone to express hate speech, hate ideology, radical and extremist positions : I’d be tempted which is why I understand idealists shifting their tools to those of radicalism because good guys can adopt radical positions when “their dreams are broken”. I’d be tempted but a little red light in my deeper thoughts tells me that would be a tremendous mistake.

        As always it’s up to each and everyone of us to choose. Should we forbid those who we think aim now or tomorrow to forbid us? That is a tough question.

        To summarize : perfection is not available down here on Earth. neither is democracy, “the worst form of government, except for all the others.” as famously stated by Winston Churchill. Civilizations have always been a work in progress. A multi-dimensional, plural-factorial problematic that of the human community, isn’t it?

      4. John G. said on April 7, 2023 at 2:54 pm
        Reply

        @Tom, thank you again for a good comment and ideas! I wonder my answer will be good too.

        > First : what is democracy and what is the criteria to assert that anyone, any political party is by essence not democratic, or is it not fully democratic, or is it anti-democratic?

        Democracy is to vote each four years hoping that the voted one won’t destroy your life (too much). Non democratic political parties are those that once installed in the power they don’t let their power go in an easy way (first step to become a infamous dictatorship).

        > Second : what is radicalism, is it anti-democratic? I don’t think so provided its the people’s choice.

        Radicalism is when you say your ideas and I don’t listen them because I hate your political side. I hate you then I hate everything flowing by your side to the world. It’s necessary to dehumanize the other just to destroy his ideas and thoughts in order to make irrelevant his existence. It’s obvious antidemocratic because democracy should start listening everyone and respect the ideas and dreams.

        > Third : what is extremism, is it anti-democratic? I think it is in its very core, be it or not the people’s choice.

        Extremism is when the minority want to overrule everyone before become populism. And the first step is to make feel you guilty of racism, anti-feminism, anti-what-else or any other kind of ideological consideration (e.g. to avoid make a Easter egg of chocolate with the shape of a woman because the chocolate is brown and this would be some kind of “racism”, “sexism” or whatewer some stupid childness mind would argue you).

        > Fourth : should democracy be the reference, the best, the only reference?

        And finally we arrive to the GMH, the “global moral hypocrisy” that let China to be a “good” country despite how it’s ruled, that let Russia to be in the security council of the United Nations and so forth, and so forth, and so forth. The global moral hypocrisy also allows to consider a good or bad country depending of their “global status” in the social criteria (e.g. anglosaxon countries that consider latin america countries a third class countries).

        Just to finish, my father still hears sometimes the good song “everybody wants to rule the world”, by Tears for Fears. Just a masterpiece for the current worlwide situation. Good Holy Friday, @Tom, I probably will read you on Monday! Be happy and healthy! :S

      5. John G. said on April 6, 2023 at 2:18 pm
        Reply

        @Tom all the current OECD’s presidents are literally closer to some kind of extremism than expected. And I mean all. It’s not a problem of education but a problem of broken dreams. There is a song called “People have the power” by Patti Smith. A very nice and charming song. A lie, indeed.

      6. Tom Hawack said on April 6, 2023 at 2:48 pm
        Reply

        @John G., I think that asserting that “all the current OECD’s presidents are literally closer to some kind of extremism than expected.” is closer to a figment of imagination than to reality, not to mention an essential element of “anti-system”, inconsistent, argument-free empty minds’ rhetoric which flourish and exhibit themselves mainly on social sites. “All” should it be by the generalization it implis is by itself a suspicious preamble.

        What is not at all is when “broken dreams” initiate an extremist perspective.
        I had written already within another Ghacks article,
        [https://www.ghacks.net/2023/03/31/donald-trump-indictment-truth-social/#comment-4563007]

        Sorry to quote myself :

        “[…] radicalism happens to be not only the aspiration of extremists but as well the temptation of idealists, and if the former inspire disgust the latter inspire sadness as far as I’m concerned […]

        People have the power, with bulletins in democracies, with revolutions elsewhere. Factual. But what is democracy if not the concept of a majority as opposed to that of ego-centered individual aspirations that disagree. Denying that people have the power may be the very argument of individuals who are unsatisfied not regarding their nation but regarding their very belly : it is those who shift to extremist positions. Of course there are and always will be those who criticize on behalf of their convictions regarding their country and not themselves specifically, and those people don’t shift towards extremism.

        Democracies have a narrow history of democratically elected leaders who appear before or once in place to lead the country as extremists not to say as dictators, by the simple fact that democracy includes in its very structure the tools to prevent extremist leaderships, even if it make take time and even more when the elected is president of the nation.

        Be noted : we are not politicizing we are philosophizing on politics as the subject.

  3. Benjamin Neuman said on April 5, 2023 at 11:47 pm
    Reply

    The Jewish Passover [Pesach] always begins on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Nisan; the 15th day of Nisan is always a full moon and is the first month of the Hebrew year.

    The Christian “Easter” must always fall on a Sunday–never on a full moon. It’s calculated closely to what is written above: “Easter” is celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal [spring] equinox–March 21.

    Because Christian festivals are tied to the Solar calendar and Jewish festivals are tied to the Lunar calendar, the dates for the Jewish Passover and the Christian Easter are never identical.

    Passover begins tonight, April 5, 2023. Maundy Thursday [a Christian festival that is known as the “Lords’ Supper”] is tomorrow night, April 6, 2023. Many find the proximity of festivals this year to be a “special” time.

    Next year, for example, Easter is March 31 and Passover starts April 22–nearly a month’s difference [Gregorian calendar].

    May you have a kosher and joyous Passover!

  4. Tom Hawack said on April 5, 2023 at 11:35 pm
    Reply

    Number of Ghacks articles per category :

    1- Software : 3380+
    2- Windows : 2580+
    3- Internet : 1780+
    4.1- Firefox ; 1600+
    4.2- Misc : 1600+
    5- Companies : 1280+
    6.1- Chrome : 740+
    6.2- Mobile Computing : 740+
    7- Linux : 480+
    8- Email : 420+

    MISC on the rise thanks to many most valuable authors who definitely contribute to this section’s fame. Maybe Rank #3 before the end of the year. You can do it guys. Why not #1? Think big. MISC #1 within two years is feasible. We appreciate your hard work to bring miscellaneous articles to all after too many years of technology domination. LONG LIVE MISC !

    1. Col said on April 7, 2023 at 2:42 am
      Reply

      Is this sarcasm? lol Who’s the ‘we’ you’re speaking for? The word ‘miscellaneous’ entails soooo much, doesn’t it. So let me jump on the bandwagon too and say WE also want to see articles on the validity or non-validity of ‘asmr’….and what is currently considered the best ecological habitat for fat muckets. I can proudly state this post has something to do with computers…since it was typed on one.

      1. Tom Hawack said on April 7, 2023 at 12:13 pm
        Reply

        @Col, sarcastic it was meant to be indeed :=)
        The “we” refers to Tom Hawack and myself and in noway meant to speak or write on behalf of anyone else.

    2. John G. said on April 6, 2023 at 7:22 am
      Reply

      Hello @Tom, just impressive statistics, nice job done. I answer to you in order to thank you for these numbers and the work. I decided some days ago to read and to comment only the articles by @Ashwin and @Martin, however I thought that your useful comment needed my greetings. :]

  5. boris said on April 5, 2023 at 8:12 pm
    Reply

    Let’s make this article the most popular one on ghacks ever. Thumbs up for Astrology!!

  6. CrazyHick7403 said on April 5, 2023 at 7:43 pm
    Reply

    If it’s cloudy, I won’t see shit.

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