Pink Moon to Appear on April 12, 2025 Before Easter

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The full moon in April, known as Pink Moon or Paschal Moon, will reach its peak in the eastern United States on the night of April 12 at 19:22 WIB (Western Indonesia Time).

As quoted from Space.com, about 28 minutes later, this full moon will pass by the star Spica, an event that can be observed by sky watchers in Central America, South America, and the southernmost coastal areas of South Africa.

Quoted from Almanac.com, the name Pink Moon comes from The Old Farmer's Almanac which sets the names of full moons based on various sources, including from Native American traditions, colonial society, and European culture. These names traditionally not only refer to the moment of the full moon itself, but also reflect the entire lunar cycle in which the full moon occurs.

Despite being called Pink Moon or Paschal Moon, the name is not because the moon appears pink. The name comes from the blooming of wildflowers native to the eastern North America region during early spring, namely Phlox subulata. This plant is also known as moss phlox or creeping phlox, and is often referred to as "pink moss" because of its bright color and blooming coincides with the full moon in April.

In Jewish tradition, the full moon in April coincides with the month of Nisan in the Hebrew lunar calendar. The Jewish Passover celebration begins at sunset on April 12. Meanwhile, in the Christian calendar, the full moon also plays a significant role in determining the date of Easter celebration.

Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon that occurs after the vernal equinox, which falls on April 20, 2025. Therefore, the full moon on the night of April 12-13, falling on Saturday to Sunday, sets that Easter is celebrated on April 20, the following Sunday.

Historically, the determination of the date of Easter has been a source of differences of opinion among churches, because the date can change from year to year. This is due to the inconsistency between the length of the calendar year and the tropical year, which is the time it takes for the Earth to orbit the Sun. The Gregorian calendar was then created to help ensure that the equinox dates in the calendar remain stable every year.

Planets Visible During Pink Moon

On the night of April 12, 2025, several planets can be observed in the sky from various parts of the Earth. In northern and central latitudes like New York, Jupiter is visible in the west until about 12:02 AM, while Mars appears high in the southwest at 8 PM and is easily recognizable because of its reddish color.

Venus rises before dawn at 4:51 AM local time and remains bright until the sun rises at 6:20 AM. In these latitudes, Saturn and Mercury are not visible as they are obscured by sunlight.

Further south, such as in Miami, Venus is seen higher in the sky and appears at 5:20 AM. Saturn and Mercury can also be observed before dawn, with heights of about 10 and 9 degrees at 6:30 AM.

In the equatorial region like Singapore, the three planets, Venus, Saturn, and Mercury, will appear to form a triangle at dawn, with Venus highest in the sky.

Meanwhile, in the southern hemisphere like Buenos Aires, Jupiter and Mars are visible in the western sky after sunset. Toward morning, Venus, Saturn, and Mercury rise almost simultaneously and are clearly visible before the sun rises at 7:15 AM, with positions almost parallel in the eastern sky.

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