Pink Super Moon To Fill Michigan’s Night Sky & Other Night Sky Events
The first Super Moon of 2021 is days away. Let's take a look at other notable sky events coming up.
Monday, April 26 will treat night skywatchers with the first super moon of 2021, the first of three consecutive super moons for the year. April's Pink Moon can be best viewed by finding an area with an unobstructed view of the sky and look to the east as the moon rises above the horizon. The moon will appear larger at this point and take on a golden hue. Sorry to disappoint but the moon will not actually look pink.
The Pink Moon gets its name from the association with the blooming of phlox in April. Other nicknames include Fish Moon, Sprouting Grass Moon, and Egg Moon.
On average, supermoons are about 7% bigger and about 15% brighter than a typical full Moon. When full the moon's geology will appear enhanced. A good pair of binoculars or a telescope can be used to view the moon's enhanced geography.
Other notable upcoming sky events this summer:
- Wednesday, May 26, 2021: Super Flower Moon: also a ‘Blood Moon’ due to a lunar eclipse in Australia, western America, and Southeast Asia.
- Thursday, June 10, 2021: Ring of Fire annular solar eclipse. The Great Lakes will get treated to an unusual sunrise. The sun will rise looking like a crescent with cusps pointed upward with the sun appearing 85% eclipsed.
- Thursday, June 24, 2021: Super Strawberry Moon, as called so by Algonquin tribes, comes from the relatively short season for harvesting strawberries in the north-eastern United States and is the last full moon of Spring.
- August 11-12 2021: Perseid meteor shower. The Perseids produce about one meteor per minute under dark country skies and occasionally will produce outstandingly bright meteors, called fireballs, or exploding meteors, called bolides.