Pink moon with silhouette of a tree on night sky / Shutterstock
Vancouverites were treated to the final supermoon of the year in March, but stargazers will have the opportunity to spot a stunning full Pink Moon this April.
The full moon will take place on Friday, April 19 and offer a dazzling lunar spectacle in the spring night sky.
The Old Farmer's Almanac notes that the Pink Moon got its name from, "heralding the appearance of the “moss pink,” or wild ground phlox—one of the first spring flowers." They note that Native peoples would give distinctive names to each reoccurring full moon to mark the change of seasons. As such, many of these names arose when Native Americans first interacted with colonialists.
With that being said, Space.com notes that the April full moon also goes by other names including the Full Sprouting Grass Moon, the Egg Moon, and the Full Fish Moon.
Stargazers may also view the Lyrid meteor shower in the Lower Mainland in the Lower Mainland from April 16 to 25. The shower is known to have uncommon surges that may produce up to 100 meteors per hour.
Stargazers should opt to travel as far away from city lights as possible in order to avoid light pollution that will obscure the clarity of heavenly bodies. While this works best in more remote places, anywhere that has a higher elevation will also provide more ideal viewing conditions.
