JACKSON, Wyo. — The April full moon is rising this weekend. The moon will reach its fullest point at 6:23 p.m. on Saturday, April 12. Those with moon-watching plans should keep an eye on the forecast as rain showers might move through the valley on Saturday.
This full moon is considered a “micromoon,” the opposite of a supermoon, as it will be at the farthest point in its orbit. The full moon will appear slightly smaller and dimmer than usual because of this.
While April’s full moon is referred to as the “pink moon,” the name has nothing to do with the moon’s appearance. Rather, April corresponds with the early springtime blooms of the wildflower Phlox subulata, native to the eastern part of the country, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac. Also called the “creeping phlox” or “moss phlox,” the plant blooms in a vibrant pink.
Other historical names for April’s full moon speak to the seasonal changes as winter fades.
The Anishnabe call April’s full moon “the Breaking Ice Moon,” and the Isanti people call the it “the Moon When the Streams Are Again Navigable,” both references to the melting ice and easier mobility of the early spring season. The Tlingit call April’s full moon the “Budding Moon of Plants and Shrubs,” and the Oglala call it “the Moon of the Red Grass Appearing,” which speaks to the plant growth that will soon kick into high gear later in spring.
Some names for the full moon refer to the reappearance of certain animals, including “Moon When the Ducks Come Back” (Lakota), “Moon When the Geese Lay Eggs” (Dakota) and “Frog Moon” (Iyiniwok).
The Anishinaabeg call April’s full moon “the Sucker Moon” because it is the time to harvest sucker fish, which return to streams or lake shallows to spawn. According to legend, now is the time when this fish comes back from the spirit world to purify bodies of water and the creatures living in them, per the almanac. This name has also been applied to the February full moon, to honor the sacrifice of the sucker fish in order to feed the Anishinaabeg peoples, traditionally helping them to survive the winter.
Classic rock fans might associate this full moon with Nick Drake’s album and title track “Pink Moon,” a 1972 cult hit that exploded in popularity after being featured in a Volkswagen commercial in the late 1990s.
