Why do Pink Moons Occur?

The title 'pink moon' is a misnomer. Unfortunately, this does not signify the presence of a moon that is pink in color. A pink moon is a name given to the full moon in April.

Why is it called the 'pink moon'?

In many cultures, it was common to have various names for the moon during different times of the year to keep track of time. In Native American tribes, April's moon was called the pink moon - after the pink flowers of wild ground phlox, which bloom at this time of year throughout the United States and Canada.

There are many other names for the moon in April, including the Egg Moon, Fish Moon, and Sprouting Grass Moon.

So, this means that pink moons occur every year. What makes this year's so unique? 2021's pink moon broke headlines because it was one of the two supermoons of this year. A supermoon is a new moon that coincides with a perigee (the closest that the moon comes to the earth). This results in the moon appearing larger than usual.

Why did it appear orange?

When the moon was observed close to the horizon, it looked orange. The reason for this is the same as why a sunset is orange. Rayleigh scattering is a phenomenon in which light of shorter wavelengths (blue and violet) are absorbed and scattered by the atmosphere, which makes the sky appear blue. Red and orange, which have longer wavelengths easily pass through the atmosphere without getting absorbed. Therefore, sunrise and sunset, which occur close to the horizon, appear orange. Similarly, when the moon is viewed from the horizon where the atmosphere is at its thickest, it appears orange.

To recap, a pink moon's occurrence is nothing out of the ordinary. It's the term for the new moon in April. But a supermoon is something worth waiting for and observing.

However, this phenomenon points something very global about humans. And that is our obsession with what is beyond the earth. People all around the world marked the super pink moon in their calendar and stared at the night sky at the full moon. This proves that humans will forever be fascinated with the skies.

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