Mark your calendars folks, because there’s going to be a glorious pink super moon gracing our skies next week, marking the first of two super moons in 2021.
If you look to the skies on Tuesday 27 April, you’ll be able to spot the pink super moon which, despite the name, isn’t actually pink at all. But what it lacks in rosy tones, it makes up for in size and brightness.
Interestingly, the name actually comes from the pink phlox, a beautiful flower in the US that blooms around the same time as we see the pink super moon.
A super moon is an unofficial name given to a full (or new) moon that occurs when the moon is in perigee (aka when it’s closest to the Earth). The moon’s proximity to Earth results in its brighter and bigger appearance.
Super moons are generally pretty rare and only occur once every year or so, but we’re lucky enough to get two this year — and they’re not too far apart either. The second super moon will be visible on Wednesday 26 May, and will be a total lunar eclipse that will turn into a super blood moon.
The eclipse begins at 6.47 p.m. AEST and will peak at 9.18 p.m. and unlike the pink moon, which isn’t actually pink, the blood moon will have a reddish colour.
The visibility of both the punk super moon and the super blood moon are both dependent on clear skies.
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The Best Time To See The Pink Super Moon In Australia
The moon will be at its fullest at 1:31 p.m. on 27 April, which is obviously not peak moon-gazing time, but the moon will appear brighter and bigger than usual all night long.
The moonrise and moonset times for every capital city in Australia can be viewed below:
Sydney: 5:33 p.m. – 7:18 a.m.
Melbourne: 5:53 p.m. – 7:51 a.m.
Canberra: 5:40 p.m. – 7:29 a.m.
Brisbane: 5:33 p.m. – 7:00 a.m.
Hobart: 5:36 p.m. – 7:52 a.m.
Adelaide: 5:53 p.m. – 7:43 a.m.
Darwin: 6:50 p.m. – 7:43 a.m.
Perth: 6:01 p.m. – 7:43 a.m.
Stay in the know with Spacemodo, our monthly wrap-up of the best star-gazing events.