If you glance up in the sky on Thursday, keep and eye out for the pink moon.
Named for the brilliant pink phlox that once signaled the arrival of Spring, the moon will be at its fullest at 3:57 p.m. EDT April 25.
First of all: No, it's not pink
The spoiler is, Pink Moons are not really pink. It is simply the name for full moon that happens during the month of April — similar to February's snow moon.
UPI.com reports that the moon might actually be slightly pink this year because of the lunar eclipse that's set to happen in the afternoon.
So, why the name?
The "pink moon" name is part of a naming tradition traceable to Native American tribes. Full moons during different times of the year signaled changes in the seasons and other important dates (Farmer's Almanac offers a handy breakdown).
Full Corn moon meant it was time to pick corn, Full Buck Moon shone at around the time of year deer bucks were sprouting antlers, and Full Sturgeon Moon probably coincided with sturgeon-fishing season.
Pink moon is so named because it occurred at around the time the plant wild ground phlox begins to blossom. Indigenous Americans took this as a sign that Spring had arrived.
But there will be a lunar eclipse, right?
Eh, sort of.
Some say that the Pink Moon may be especially worth stealing a glance this year, owing to the fact that it will coincide with a partial lunar eclipse. Those who live in Europe, parts of Asia or Africa will see the eclipse, says Space.com's Joe Rao. North Americans, though are out of luck.
It is only a partial eclipse — people in Europe will see notice only a slight dark spot on the edge of the moon. You can watch the eclipse live stream at the Slooh Space Camera website.
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