As many sit distressed at home during the lockdown, some of us have found an easy solace in nature. Right from observing chirping birds in the morning to the spectrum of colour that tints the sky at sunset, quarantine has provided us with an opportunity to connect with nature.
Just a couple of nights ago, I spent a good number of hours simply admiring the stars in the sky and how harmoniously the pole stars sat with the moon sans any pollution to hamper my view. Well, I am sure you must have also found some way or the other to connect with nature, and just in case you haven’t, the sporadic occurrence of pink supermoon happens to be just the opportunity to do it.
What Is Pink Super Moon?
According to NASA, a supermoon occurs when “the moon’s orbit is closest (perigee) to Earth at the same time it is full.” To further elaborate, the moon is known to revolve the Earth in an elliptical or oval orbit. The furthest and closest point from the Earth in this orbit are referred to as apogee and perigee respectively. When the full moon appears at perigee it is brighter and larger than what a regular full moon looks like. And that’s why it is called the “supermoon.”
While there would be more than one supermoon sightings this year, the moon this week is going to be the biggest and brightest of the lot as it would be closest to the earth than any other full moon is going to be. This moon is going to be more than seven percent bigger and 15 percent brighter than the rest of the full moons across the year. It is going to be the second supermoon in 2020, the first one occurred on March 9 and the last one will be making an appearance on May 7.
Why The Name “Pink Super Moon”
That the pink supermoon is going to be phenomenally beautiful is undeniable. However, don’t be too disappointed if you don’t see any tinge of pink on the moon whatsoever. This supermoon has nothing to do with the colour pink and actually gets its name from Wild Ground Phlox, the pink wildflowers, native to North America. These flowers bloom in the spring and thus the correlation between them and the moon. Some of the other names of this moon include Pascal Moon, Hare Moon, Sprouting Grass Moon, Fish Moon, and Egg Moon.
How And When To Spot The Pink Super Moon In India
The pink super moon will start appearing from moonrise on Tuesday evening and will be at its brightest around 10:35 pm Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). But in India, it would be visible at only around 8:10 am on Wednesday morning. However, one great thing about this super moon is that it is going to appear bright, full, and big to the naked eye for a couple of days and that’s why we do have the option of getting a glimpse on Wednesday evening as well. For those who’d like to watch the Super Pink Moon as and when it appears, you can visit the YouTube channel ‘Slooh’ to do the same as they will be live streaming from Tuesday 7:30 pm onwards.
Lastly, you don’t need to step out of your house to witness the super moon! As already established, this is literally going to be the largest full moon of the year and can be easily seen from your terrace or balcony. So, don’t step out, stay indoors and watch the super pink moon.
Featured Image: Instagram