April 26th Supermoon

Although not fully true to the name, a pink supermoon took place on the night of April 26th. This event was the first of two supermoons to occur this year, in 2021. A supermoon happens when “the full moon coincides with the moon’s closest approach to Earth in its orbit.” According to NASA, this supermoon was the biggest and brightest at 11:32 p.m. 

So, why the lack of color? Truth be told, and unfortunately, the pink supermoon isn’t actually pink. The reason it’s called the “pink supermoon” is because it is named after the phlox subulata, which is a pink wildflower. These flowers, commonly found in eastern North America, bloom in the early springtime. The name for the pink moon is listed in the Farmers’ Almanac, along with other full moon names. Fun fact, the moon names often originate from Native American tribes.

For all the astronomy enthusiasts out there, there’s still a chance to experience another supermoon. The next supermoon event will take place on the night of May 26th. This supermoon will be a Lunar Eclipse, otherwise known as a Blood Moon. In West Orange, the Penumbral Eclipse begins at 4:47 a.m. This is when “the Earth’s penumbra starts touching the Moon’s face.” The Eclipse will reach its maximum at 5:31 a.m. and end at 5:34 a.m., lasting for 47 minutes in total. However, with this being said, West Orange won’t actually be able to view the actual maximum point due to the Moon being below the horizon.