April’s Paschal Full Moon

Saturday, April 16, 2022

8:15 PM

by Sid Baglini

How to watch the Lyrid meteor shower in 2022
Lyrid Meteor Shower

Whether you have a busy Easter planned or just a laid back early spring weekend, we invite you to add a lovely evening walk under the Full Paschal Moon to your “To Do List”. It’s called The Paschal Full Moon because it determines the date on which Easter is celebrated. The religious holiday falls on the first Sunday after the first full Moon after the spring equinox which was March 20th.

Known more widely as the Full Pink Moon, it may display a golden hue as it crests the horizon but you’ll be disappointed if you are looking for a decidedly pink Moon. The term “Pink” refers to the color of a common native flower found this time of year called Phlox subulata or Creeping Phlox.  Other names related to seasonal flora are “The Budding Moon of Plants and Shrubs” and the “Moon of the Red Grass Appearing”. There are also the fauna related names like “Frog Moon” (perhaps we’ll hear some belting out their mating calls), “The Fish Moon” and the Moons “When the Geese Lay Eggs” and “When The Ducks Come Back.”  Finally, from native people living in colder climes, we have the images conjured by the “Ice Breaks Up Moon” and the “Moon When the Streams Are Again Navigable.

On April 24, four planets and the Moon will line up in the sky at the same time. Look for Jupiter, Venus, Mars, and Saturn with the Moon making its appearance beside Saturn. We may be able to catch sight of some of these planets during our walk on the 16th but the real show will be 8 days later.

A Parade of Planets Will Cross the Night Sky Through Spring 2022 | PetaPixel

From April 15th to the 29th, we will be experiencing the Lyrid Meteor Shower, although it peaks on the nights of the 22nd and 23rd.  On average, it produces 10 to 15 meteors per hour but has been known to exhibit bursts of up to 100 per hour. Optimal viewing requires a dark sky so the waning Moon will impact the number of meteors visible those nights. Overlapping is the eta Aquarids Meteor Shower (April 15-May 27), somewhat more visible in the southern hemisphere but at its peak on the night between May 4th and 5th, it may produce from 10 to 30 meteors visible in the northern hemisphere just before dawn. These meteors are debris shed by the famous Halley’s Comet.

So, if your schedule allows,  join us on our walk to enjoy what will possibly be a golden Moon that is called “pink”. We meet by the entrance to Malvern Arts in the parking lot at the corner of Channing and First Avenues.

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