Overview
Been spending the first few months of 2020 pondering the future? Given the current state of affairs, that's only natural. This week, however, you might want to look to the skies as well — and feast your eyes on a luminous lunar sight.
For folks located Down Under, Wednesday, April 8 is when you'll want to be peering upwards. That's when you'll see the second of 2020's super full moons, with this one named the 'super pink moon'. And while super full moons aren't particularly rare — two usually happen each year — after this, the next one isn't due to occur until April 2021.
WHAT IS IT?
If you're more familiar with The Mighty Boosh's take on the moon than actual lunar terms, here's what you need to know. As we all learned back in November 2016, a supermoon is a new moon or full moon that occurs when the moon reaches the closest point to Earth in its elliptical orbit, making it particularly bright. They're not all that uncommon — but because April 2020's supermoon is a full moon (and not a new moon), that's why it's called a super full moon.
It's also a pink moon, too, which doesn't refer to its colour but to the time of year. In the northern hemisphere, April and spring go hand-in-hand — which means the April full moon usually arrives with the onset of the year's floral blooms, and with the first flowers from the pink-hued wild ground phlox specifically.
Of course, it's currently autumn in the southern hemisphere, and the wild ground phlox are native to North America — but the name still sticks.
WHEN CAN I SEE IT?
If you're keen to catch a glimpse, you'll want to peek outside on Wednesday, April 8 — and while timeanddate.com notes that the super pink moon is expected to be at its peak at 2.35pm that day in Auckland and Wellington, it's still worth looking up for.
If you're eager to take some pictures — and see if you can outdo previous supermoon snaps — the ABC recommends directing your eyeballs upwards at around 11pm that night, which is when the super pink moon will be highest in the sky.
WHERE CAN I SEE IT?
Usually, when a spectacular moon beams down from above, we'd advise city-dwellers to get as far away from light pollution as possible to get the best view. That's not possible given the current COVID-19 restrictions in place, so you'd best take a gander from your backyard or balcony.
Typically, clouds and showers are predicted for Wednesday across the country which could present problems in terms of visibility. If you can't get a clear view, The Virtual Telescope Project will be live streaming the moon online from Rome on Wednesday, April 8, starting at 5am, too.
Via timeanddate.com / space.com / ABC. Image: Andrew C.