The month of April has been marked by astronomical events that Puerto Ricans have been able to enjoy, the most recent being partial solar eclipse on April 8. On this occasion, a Moon full will adorn the sky of the archipelago on the night of Tuesday, April 23.
However, it will not be just any phase of the lunar cycle, since in the astronomical calendar it is called the “Pink Full Moon.” Her nickname, far from being related to the color pink, dates back to a centuries-old Native American tradition.
“It will not look pink, but, by tradition, it is known that way because it coincides with the time when a plant called moss rose usually blooms in North America.”he noted, via telephone, Eddie Irizarry Roblespresident of scientific dissemination of the Caribbean Astronomy Society (SAC).
Irizarry Robles explained that the moss rose is a common plant on the east coast of the North American nation and usually blooms during this time, specifically for the month of April.
As a result, the natives attributed the flowering of this crop to supposed supernatural properties of the full Moon in April.
“By tradition, they thought that perhaps the Moon had some relationship with this type of rose that, as it happens, appeared more in the month of April and close to the full Moon (…) There is no scientific evidence (…) of that relationship). So we can say that, in a certain way, the Native Americans believed that the Moon had some power to influence these plants,” the scientific communicator added.
The satellite will rise over the horizon between 6:38 pm to 7:00 pm, and, although it will not turn pink as the name seems to indicate, Irizarry Robles pointed out that It is common to see certain shades of other colors during the rise of the full Moon.
“It might look a little yellowish or sometimes a little orange. This is because, while we are observing the Moon near the horizon, the light reflected by the Moon is passing through a greater amount of the Earth's atmosphere. (…) But then one will notice that, as it gains elevation each time, it looks more white. Yes, sometimes you can see a little color, especially when it is rising near the horizon. But it is an effect from here, from our atmosphere and not from the Moon as such,” he distinguished.
The scientific communicator announced that the satellite will once again be the protagonist of a series of events during the rest of the year, as four supermoons will occur. The most recent was recorded on September 28, 2023.
This phenomenon happens when the full Moon coincides with the closest point to Earth in its elliptical orbit, making it appear larger and brighter.
The four supermoons of 2024 will occur on August 19, September 18, October 17 and November 15.