Ontario is getting a front-row seat to a truly spectacular sky show this April as an annual celestial event sees the full moon turn bright pink.
Well, not exactly, but it’s easy to believe that’s what’s happening.
Ocurring annually during April, this year’s “Full Pink Moon” will be the first full moon of spring 2025, reaching its peak in just over a week.
While the name might imply that the moon itself will illuminate bright pink on April 12, a la the deep red Blood Moon or the breathtaking orange Hunter’s Moon, the full moon’s name actually has nothing to do with the colour it’ll be.
You can expect it to be an entirely normal shade of greyish white, but that won’t make it any less spectacular.
According to the Farmer’s Almanac, the name Pink Moon actually comes from moss phlox flowers, which are some of the first flowers to bloom each spring and display vivid purple, white and, most notably, pink, hues.
While we won’t be getting a moon that looks ripped out of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie set (much to my chagrin, might I add,) you can still expect to see something pretty extraordinary: the 2025 Full Pink Moon will be a “micromoon.”
Exactly as it sounds, a micromoon is the opposite of a supermoon, when the moon reaches peak fullness at or near its furthest point from Earth, which is scientifically known as apogee, making the moon appear smaller than average.
So, while not necessarily as spectacular as an enormous, vibrant red or orange moon looming over Toronto, the Full Pink Moon will still be unique in its own way — just in an itsy-bitsy, cutesy way.
The Full Pink Moon isn’t the only celestial event that you should keep your eyes on the skies for this month, though.
On Wednesday, April 2, you might just catch the moon “kissing” Jupiter (the two bodies will appear very close together) if you look west after sunset, and the Lyrids Meteor Shower is expected to reach peak activity between April 22 and 23.
The next full moon, known as the Flower Moon, is set to take place on May 12.
The 2025 Full Pink Moon will reach its peak over Ontario around 8:22 p.m. EST on Saturday, April. 12, but will be visible across Canada.
