The Moon does not actually glow pink, but this celestial event owes its name to a type of pink American wildflower, which blooms at this time of year. The Moon will be at the biggest and brightest it will be all month. The Moon reached its peak illumination around 12:12pm BST Friday, at the moment the moon’s Earth-facing side was directly opposite the sun.
However, it was not visible until 8:05pm BST and will set around 6:51am BST Saturday.
Maritime astronomer Bruce McClure of EarthSky.org said: “On both April 18 and April 19, 2019, you’ll see a round full-looking moon in your sky.
“The moon turns full in front of the constellation Virgo the Maiden at 11:12pm UTC on Apri l19.
“That means that, from some places worldwide, the moon turns full before dawn on April 19.
READ MORE: Pink Moon 2019: Why today’s Full Moon is important for Christians?
As the moon orbits the Earth and the Sun, it goes through a cycle of phases called the Lunar Cycle.
Every night, viewers on Earth see the same side of the Moon facing the Earth but the amount of sunlight reflected off it varies day-to-day.
The Full Moon is when the earth-facing side is fully illuminated by the Sun, which occurs on a monthly basis.
NASA explained: “We always see the same side of the Moon, because as the Moon revolves around the Earth, the Moon rotates so that the same side is always facing the Earth.”
Tonight, the Fool Moon is visible all over the globe.
Mr McClure said: “Technicalities aside, the Mon appears full to the eye for a few days.
“That’s because at the vicinity of Full Moon, the Moon remains more of less opposite the Sun for a day or two.
“From around the world, expect to see a full-looking Moon lighting up the nighttime from dusk until dawn tonight.”
