Pink Moon 2025: When To See Spring’s First Full Moon Rise In Blaze Of Colour
The first full moon of spring, known as the pink moon, will illuminate the night sky on Saturday, April 12, 2025. Although it won’t actually appear pink, this full moon is named after the early blooming pink phlox flowers, which signal the arrival of springtime. Rising gently into the eastern sky during dusk, April’s full moon will be bathed in soft hues of orange as it emerges on the horizon. On Thursday, April 10, there’s a chance it could be in the sky at the same time as the northern lights in some northern U.S. states, with a potential display of aurora predicted.
According to Forbes, the pink moon will reach its full phase at 8:23 p.m. EDT on Saturday, April 12, 2025. This almost coincides with the rising of the full moon in eastern North America just an hour before, a relatively rare occurrence. A full moon is at its most breathtaking as it rises in the east just after sunset, appearing larger and more vibrant due to the "moon illusion," which fools the human brain into thinking it’s larger than it really is, as reported by Forbes, citing NASA.
For the best view of the pink moon, find an unobstructed vantage point facing the eastern horizon. Elevated locations or open fields are ideal for catching the moon as it rises. All that’s necessary is the naked eye, though binoculars or a telescope can reveal details on the lunar surface. Despite its name, the pink moon won’t actually appear pink. Its name comes from the seasonal pink wildflowers — known as creeping phlox — that bloom in early spring in some parts of North America, according to Forbes, citing NASA. This full moon has also been called the sprouting grass moon, fish moon, and egg moon.
The exact time of moonrise — the best time to see the full moon — depends on your location. In New York, sunset will occur at 7:32 p.m. with moonrise at 7:31 p.m. EDT on Saturday, April 12. In Los Angeles, sunset will occur at 7:22 p.m. with moonrise at 7:26 p.m. PDT on Saturday, April 12. In London, sunset will occur at 7:53 p.m. with moonrise at 8:52 p.m. BST on Sunday, April 13. This will be a dark moonrise. For Europe, there is no good night to see the moon rise during dusk this month.
The pink moon is also known as the ‘paschal moon’, which plays a significant role in determining the date of the Christian festival of Easter. The exact date of Easter Sunday is determined by the lunar calendar. For the Western Church, Easter Sunday is the Sunday after the first full moon after the spring equinox. Since the equinox was on March 20 this year, shortly after a total lunar eclipse (a full moon) on March 13/14, it must come on the Sunday after the following full moon, the pink moon on April 12, making it the paschal moon, as reported by Forbes, citing Almanac. Easter Sunday therefore falls on Sunday, April 20.
There’s a timezone issue at play here, as astronomers use Universal Coordinated Time (UTC) — also Greenwich Mean Time — and the exact moment of the full moon is 01:22 UTC on April 13, which is April 12 in North American timezones. If the moment of full moon occurred just 83 minutes earlier, Easter Sunday would be this Sunday.
After the pink moon, the next full moon will be the flower moon on Monday, May 12, 2025. It will be the second full moon of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. There are 12 full moons in 2025, including three supermoons (full moons that are closest to Earth) and two total lunar eclipses (the first on March 13/14 and the second on Sept 7/8), according to Forbes.
