Prepare for the Full Pink Moon!

When to See the Full Moon in April 2024

Venture outside on Tuesday, April 23, to catch a glimpse of April’s full Pink Moon. This full Moon reaches peak illumination at 7:49 p.m. Eastern Time.

For the best view of this lovely spring Moon, find an open area and watch as the Moon rises just above the horizon. At this point, it will appear its biggest and take on a golden hue! (Find local Moon rise and set times here.)

Why Is It Called the Pink Moon?

The full Moon names used by The Old Farmer’s Almanac come from various sources, including Native American, Colonial American, and European sources. Traditionally, each full Moon name was applied to the entire lunar month in which it occurred, not only to the full Moon.

Although we wish the name “Pink Moon” had to do with the color of the Moon, the reality is not quite as mystical or awe-inspiring. In truth, April’s full Moon often corresponded with the early springtime blooms of a certain wildflower native to eastern North America: Phlox subulata—commonly called creeping phlox or moss phlox—which also went by the name “moss pink.”

Thanks to this seasonal association, this full Moon came to be called the “Pink” Moon!

Alternative April Moon Names

In April, Moon names reference spring abound!

Breaking Ice Moon (Algonquin) and Moon When the Streams Are Again Navigable (Dakota) reference the melting ice and increased mobility of the early spring season.

Budding Moon of Plants and Shrubs (Tlingit) and Moon of the Red Grass Appearing (Oglala) speak to the plant growth that will soon kick into high gear.

Other names refer to the reappearance of certain animals, including Moon When the Ducks Come Back (Lakota), Moon When the Geese Lay Eggs (Dakota), and Frog Moon (Cree).

Along the same vein, Sucker Moon (Anishinaabe) notes the time to harvest sucker fish, which return to streams or lake shallows to spawn. According to legend, now is the time when this fish comes back from the spirit world to purify bodies of water and the creatures living in them. (This name may also be applied to the February Moon to honor the sacrifice of the sucker fish to feed the Anishinaabe peoples, traditionally helping them to survive the winter.)

All dates and times are Eastern Time. See our Moon Phase Calendar to customize times and dates to your location.

April Moon Phase Dates and Times

	Last Quarter: April 1, 11:15 P.M. ET
	New Moon: April 8, 2:21 P.M. ET
	First Quarter: April 15, 3:13 P.M. ET
	Full Moon: April 23, 7:49 P.M. ET

April Moon Facts and Folklore

A full Moon in April brings frost. If the full Moon rises pale, expect rain.

• On April 20, 1972, the lunar module of Apollo XVI landed on the moon with astronauts John Young and Charles Duke aboard. Thomas Mattingly remained in orbit around the moon aboard the command module.
• One day later, on April 21, 1972, Apollo XVI astronauts John Young and Charles Duke drove an electric car on the surface of the moon. It’s still up there, along with some expensive tools and some film that they forgot.
• According to folklore, the period from the full Moon through the last quarter of the Moon is the best time for killing weeds, thinning, pruning, mowing, cutting timber, and planting below-ground crops. Read more about Gardening by the Moon.

Full Pink Moon Video

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Source: MoonGiant.com

Full Moon and New Moon for March 2024

Last Quarter March 3 15:24 UTC

New Moon March 10 09:00 UTC

First Quarter March 17 04:11 UTC

Full Moon March 25 07:00 UTC

The Full Moon for this month will occur later in the month on Monday, March 25th*. The New Moon is earlier in the month on Sunday, March 10th.

*(SIDE NOTE: This would have been my father’s 90th and the date I brought Cleo home in 2009)

Source: almanac.com

When to See the Full Moon in February 2024

February’s full Snow Moon reaches peak illumination at 7:30 A.M. EST on Saturday, February 24. It will be below the horizon at this time, so for the best view of this Moon, look for it starting the night before or later on Saturday; it will drift above the horizon in the east around sunset and reach its highest point in the sky around midnight. See when the Moon will be visible in your area.

February Micromoon

February’s full Moon is a “Micromoon” this year. Think of this term as the opposite of a “Supermoon.” It simply means that the full Moon is at its farthest point from Earth (not the nearest point). In astronomical terms, we call this “apogee.” Specifically, February’s Micro full Moon is about 252,225 miles from Earth.

Why is the Moon nearer or farther (in this instance) from Earth? Simple: The Moon orbits Earth in an elliptical path. One side is nearer to Earth, and one side is farther. This distance affects the Moon’s size and brightness, although it’s probably not visible to the naked eye. The perceived size of the Moon from Earth is more related to the “Moon Illusion” and how close the Moon appears to the horizon; in this case, it’s high above the horizon, so it may not appear to loom over us the way it appears when it’s near the horizon.

Why Is It Called the Snow Moon?

The full Moon names used by The Old Farmer’s Almanac come from a number of places, including Native American, Colonial American, and European sources. Traditionally, each full Moon name was applied to the entire lunar month in which it occurred, not just to the full Moon itself.

The Snow Moon

The explanation behind February’s full Moon name is a fairly straightforward one: it’s known as the Snow Moon due to the typically heavy snowfall that occurs in February. On average, February is the United States’ snowiest month, according to data from the National Weather Service. In the 1760s, Captain Jonathan Carver, who had visited with the Naudowessie (Dakota), wrote that the name used for this period was the Snow Moon, “because more snow commonly falls during this month than any other in the winter.”

Alternative February Moon Names

Names for this month’s Moon have historically had a connection to animals. The Cree traditionally called this the Bald Eagle Moon or Eagle Moon. The Ojibwe Bear Moon and Tlingit Black Bear Moon refer to the time when bear cubs are born. The Dakota also call this the Raccoon Moon; certain Algonquin peoples named it the Groundhog Moon, and the Haida named it Goose Moon.

Another theme of this month’s Moon names is scarcity. The Cherokee names of Month of the Bony Moon and Hungry Moon give evidence to the fact that food was hard to come by at this time.

Moon Phases for February 2024

All dates and times listed below are Eastern Standard Time. See the Almanac’s Moon Phase Calendar for times in your city/state.

February Moon Phase Dates and Times

	Last Quarter: February 2, 6:18 P.M.
	New Moon: February 9, 5:59 P.M.
	First Quarter: February 16, 10:01 A.M.
	Full Moon: February 24, 7:30 A.M.

Best Days in February 2024

Below are the Best Days for activities, based on the Moon’s sign and phase in February.

For Planting…
…Aboveground crops: 10, 11
…Belowground crops: 2, 3, 29

For Setting Eggs
18, 25-27

For Fishing
9-24

→ See all our Best Days for various activities.

Moon Facts and Folklore

On February 6, 1971, Alan Shepard became the first man to hit a golf ball on the Moon.

Did you know that the Moon’s diameter is 2,160 miles? This is less than the width of the United States (approximately 3,000 miles), and 0.27 of Earth’s diameter (7,926 miles).

Wolves have howled at the Moon for centuries, yet it is still there.

And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand, they danced by the light of the Moon.
—Edward Lear, English poet (1812-88)