The last "pink supermoon" of the year will peak in the night sky on Monday. According to NASA, it could be fully visible by Monday at 11:31 p.m. EDT.
The celestial treat is one of the year's three most impressive displays of the terrestrial star, being up to 14% larger and 30% lighter than normal moons.
VIENNA, AUSTRIA - APRIL 07: Supermoon appears in the distance behind a silhouette of a statue on top of the Burgtheater on April 07, 2020 in Vienna, Austria. A supermoon occurs when the moon reaches its closest position to the Earth, known as the perigee, making the satellite appear bigger and brighter than usual. This month’s supermoon is also a Pink Moon, so-called by the Native Americans because of the pink flowers that appeared in the east of North America at this time of year.
The first of a series of supermoons would rise on April 26 into the early morning of April 27, followed by another supermoon on May 26 and the year's last supermoon on June 24.
As long as clouds do not obscure the horizon, the last major astronomical occurrence of the month will be visible worldwide. If clouds prevent people from seeing the moon on Monday night, they should search for it again on Tuesday night, when the moon will still be nearly full.
Check out this moonrise calculator to see when the supermoon will be visible in your area.
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Why is It Called the Pink Super Moon?
Accuweather said Astrologer Richard Noell invented the phrase "supermoon" in 1979. Still, the term did not catch on until the 2010s, when it became famous. Even though an astrologer coined it, the term has celestial connotations.
The Pink Moon refers to the new moon in April, and is named after creeping phlox, a herb moss that blooms one of the first spring flowers. The Fish Moon, Sprouting Grass Moon, and Egg Moon are some of the other names for April's full moon.
NASA said this nickname comes from the pink petals of the herb moss pink, one of the first wildflowers to bloom in the spring in the eastern United States.
On average, there are two or four supermoons per year. This full moon and the full moon on May 26 are the two largest full moons we'll see this year. The full moon in May will be the largest of the year, but it will only be .04 percent larger than the full moon on Monday.
How Near is the Moon to Earth?
Anna Ross, an astronomer from the Greenwich Royal Observatory, told SkyNews that the average distance of the moon from the Earth is 384,400 kilometers. She said the moon would approach its nearest point this lunar month on April 27. It will be 357,379 kilometers away, she said.
Ross said the distance ensures that the best opportunities to see the supermoon will be on the night of April 27. The moon will rise in the east shortly before sunset and set in the west shortly before sunrise.
A supermoon is the result of a full moon happening at the moon's nearest position to the Earth in its orbit, Ms. Ross said.
This year, on May 26, there will be another supermoon. Forecasters predict that it will be larger and lighter than the April eclipse.
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