First of two supermoons this year is coming our way; here is when to get a look

Those who love to see full moons that look bigger and are brighter in the sky than normal are in luck.

According to NASA, the next full Moon will be late Monday night, April 26, 2021, appearing opposite the Sun in Earth-based longitude at 11:32 p.m. EDT. The Moon will appear full for approximately three days around this time, from Sunday night through Wednesday morning.

NASA states that in the 1930s the Maine Farmer’s Almanac began publishing American Indian Moon names for the months of the year. According to this almanac, as the full Moon in April, this is the Pink Moon, named after the herb moss pink, also known as creeping phlox, moss phlox, or mountain phlox. The plant is native to the eastern United States and is one of the earliest widespread flowers of spring.

“Different publications use slightly different thresholds for deciding which full Moons qualify as supermoons, but for 2021 all agree the two full Moons in April and May are supermoons.” – Gordon Johnston from NASA

The moon won’t actually look pink, but should have an orange tinge.

NASA says that other names for this Moon include the Sprouting Grass Moon, the Egg Moon, and among coastal tribes of North America, the Fish Moon, as this was when the shad swam upstream to spawn.

“This full Moon is the first of two supermoons for 2021. The term “supermoon” was coined by astrologer Richard Nolle in 1979 and refers to either a new or full Moon that occurs when the Moon is within 90% of perigee, its closest approach to Earth. Since we can’t see a new Moon (except when it passes in front of the Sun), what has caught the public’s attention in recent decades are full supermoons, as these are the biggest and brightest full Moons for the year.”