STARGAZERS can enjoy this spring’s first full moon this weekend before the Lyrids meteor shower peaks
The Pink Moon has been lighting up the sky since early Friday and will continue to do so until Monday morning, according to NASA.
The moon reached its peak fullness on Saturday afternoon, but is set to remain highly visible throughout the rest of the weekend.
Those who want to see the display should “find an open area and watch as the Moon rises just above the horizon, at which point it will appear its biggest and take on a golden hue,” according to the Old Farmers’ Almanac.
April’s full moon could have a profound effect on stargazers this weekend, according to a spiritual advisor.
The celestial event will cause a powerful change in the lives of all 12 of the star signs, expert Meghan Rose said.
Rose noted that the moon “actually marks the beginning of the Taurus-Scorpio eclipse that’s taking place over the next year and a half, so this is actually going to be really powerful.”
The Pink Moon is just one of the two celestial displays to look forward to in the coming days.
The Lyrids meteor shower and a full pink moon will both grace night skies above the US this week.
The Lyrid meteor shower is set to peak on April 22 when about 18 “shooting stars” will appear per hour.
Read our pink moon and Lyrids meteor shower live blog for the latest news and updates…
How many phases of the moon are there?
There are four moon phases — New Moon, First Quarter, Full Moon, and Last Quarter.
A Full Moon means the Earth is between the Moon and the Sun and the Moon’s nearside is entirely lit.
The Moon doesn’t change shape and doesn’t produce any light – how we see it is due to the brightness of the sun reflecting on it.
Chaos to come with pink moon, continued
Rose said: “[The April pink moon] actually marks the beginning of the Taurus-Scorpio eclipse that’s taking place over the next year and a half, so this is actually going to be really powerful.”
As a result, she claims that the full moon’s effects will be “amplified” for all 12 sun signs.
“The moon from an astrological standpoint rules over our emotions and our inner world.
“The amplification of it being an eclipse is going to halt any manifestation and ritualized manifestation specifically because the energy is so chaotic,” she said.
Chaos to come with pink moon
While the pink full moon will be visible during the day, it will not be seen after the sun has set.
It will also not appear pink.
Each month’s full moon is named after an identifying feature of the time of year in which it occurs, according to the Farmer’s Almanac.
“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,'” the Farmer’s Almanac reads.
The pink moon, according to Meghan Rose, a spiritual counselor, will have a significant impact on all star signs.
When is the next full moon?
The next full moon – the Flower Moon – will take place on May 16, according to Farmer’s Almanac.
How long will the moon be full?
Per Nasa, the moon will appear full until Monday morning.
Why is it called the pink moon?
According to Space.com, pink refers to the plant moss pink, also known as creeping phlox, moss phlox, or mountain phlox, which grows in the eastern United States.
Pink moon in full effect in NYC
The 98 percent-full April moon rose in the eastern sky around 6.29pm in the New York City area on Saturday.
According to TimeAndDate.com, the actual full moon rose at 7.42pm on Saturday, April 16.
Full Pink moon rises behind the Empire State Building in Manhattan of New York CityCredit: Getty Images – Getty What are Bolides?
Bolides are brighter and larger than fireballs, according to National Geographic, and they frequently explode in the atmosphere.
On the surface of the Earth, these explosions may be heard and even felt.
Bolides are fireballs that emit a sonic boom when they speed through the atmosphere, according to some scientists.
Known as superbolides, certain bolides are so brilliant and produce such a big explosion that they become natural hazards and threaten people and towns.
What are Fireballs?
Larger meteors, ranging in size from a basketball to a compact automobile, are known as fireballs, per National Geographic.
The most common type of meteor is probably a fireball. Hundreds of sightings are reported each year by members of groups like the American Meteor Society.
In the US, more than 1,500 fireballs have been documented as of July 2014.
Some were only visible in a local area, while others were observed by stargazers in many states.
What are Earthgrazers?
Earthgrazers are meteors with lengthy, multicolored tails that sweep close to the horizon, according to National Geographic.
Some earthgrazers re-enter space after bouncing off Earth’s upper atmosphere.
Other earthgrazers disintegrate in the atmosphere, streaking through the sky like falling stars.
Different types of meteors
Meteors are classified by size, brightness, and proximity to Earth.
According to National Geographic, there are various different types of meteors:
- Earthgrazers
- Fireballs
- Bolides
What is a meteor?
A meteor is a streak of light in the sky created by a meteoroid smashing into the atmosphere of the Earth, according to National Geographic.
Stunning images of the pink moon
Michael Seeley snapped this photo of the pink moon right behind the rocket that will travel to the moon as part of the Artemis I mission.
He took the photo from a boat that was about 7 miles away.
What does the pink moon symbolize?
The Pink Moon represents flowering in all aspects of one’s life and encourages you to grow in all areas of your life, according to TheRecentTimes.com.
It’s a representation of progress. It also refers to the rebirth of anything in one’s life. What it alludes to is a new beginning.
Does the pink moon have other names?
The pink moon has other names, according to Nasa, such as the Sprouting Grass Moon, the Egg Moon, and the Fish Moon.
What does the pink moon symbolize?
The Pink Moon represents flowering in all aspects of one’s life and encourages you to grow in all areas of your life, according to TheRecentTimes.com.
It’s a representation of progress. It also refers to the rebirth of anything in one’s life. What it alludes to is a new beginning.
The moon is Earth’s natural satellite
It is the Solar System’s fifth-biggest natural satellite and the largest among planetary satellites in terms of the size of the planet it circles.
How big is the moon, continued
The Moon’s diameter is around 3,500 km, which is more than a fifth of Earth’s, and its face is about the same breadth as Australia.
The Moon’s total surface area is somewhat less than that of the Americas, at 38million square kilometers.
The Moon has a mass of 1/81 that of the Earth, and is the second densest of the planetary moons, with a surface gravity of 0.1654 g and an escape velocity of 2.38 km/s.
How big is the moon?
The Moon is the Solar System’s fifth-biggest natural satellite in terms of size and mass, and one of its planetary-mass moons, making it a satellite planet according to geophysical standards.
It is smaller than Mercury and much larger than Pluto, the Solar System’s biggest dwarf planet.
While the Pluto-Charon system’s minor-planet moon Charon is bigger than Pluto, the Moon is the Solar System’s greatest natural satellite in terms of its principal planets.
50 years since the Apollo 16 launch
On April 16, 1972, Apollo 16 blasted off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida as the tenth crewed mission in the Apollo Space Program, administered by NASA.
After landing on the moon’s surface, the crew conducted three moonwalks, totaling over 20 hours, and collected lunar samples.
NASA going back to the moon
Artemis I will be the first integrated test of NASA’s deep space exploration systems, the Orion spacecraft, Space Launch System rocket.
Orion will orbit the moon, staying in outer space for about six days to collect data, according to NASA.
Upcoming events in astronomy: December, continued
When the Geminid meteor shower peaks during the second full week of December, it will be one of the most anticipated annual meteor showers as well as one of the year’s closing astronomy events.
The Geminids may produce over 100 meteors per hour under perfect conditions, but the almost full moon will once again interfere with the shower.
Before the moon rises between 10pm and 11pm local time, the evening may prove to be the optimum time to observe this year’s event.
The meteor shower, on the other hand, will last all night, with shooting stars visible mostly in darker portions of the sky where the moon is not visible.
Upcoming events in astronomy: December
During the second half of 2022, one of Earth’s nearest neighbors will become a conspicuous presence in the night sky, attaining peak brightness in early December as it approaches opposition, according to Accuweather.
When the Red Planet is in opposition to the sun from Earth’s perspective, it is known as Mars opposition.
As a result, it can be seen all night and glows brighter than the majority of the stars in the sky.
Mars only aligns with the Sun once every 26 months; after 2022, it won’t do so again until January 15, 2025.
These near encounters also provide the finest opportunity for space agencies such as NASA to undertake Mars missions.
Upcoming events in astronomy: November, continued
The Northern Taurid meteor shower, which occurs in mid-November, is usually a small occurrence that passes undetected, but this year might be an exception.
In most years, the Northern Taurids generate just about five meteors per hour, a far cry from the popular Perseids or December Geminids’ hourly rates.
The meteor shower is notable for producing tremendously brilliant fireballs that brighten the whole sky for a few seconds and peak during the night of November 11 into the early hours of November 12.
Upcoming events in astronomy: November
On November 8, the second and last complete lunar eclipse of 2022 will occur before daybreak, but not everyone in North America will be able to see the moon turn red, Accuweather reported.
The whole phase of the eclipse will be missed by East Coastwatchers since the moon will set shortly before the eclipse reaches its peak.
Weather permitting, the rest of Canada and the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii, will be able to see the display.
People in North America will not be able to see a total lunar eclipse from their homes again until March 14, 2025, following November’s eclipse.
