April's Pink Full Moon to enthral skywatchers tonight: What time is it, why is it named so and more

livemint.com:

Pink Full Moon 2024: The Pink Full Moon, a rare celestial event, can be witnessed on Wednesday, April 23. However, the Pink Full Moon does not appear pink in colour. It will actually glow orange.

The term “pink" is derived from the traditional native American name for the April Full Moon. It is associated with the springtime blossoming of the Phlox Subulata plant, a pink wildflower native to eastern North America. In India, the Pink Full Moon started on April 23 at 3.20 am IST and will end on April 24 at 5.20 am IST.

In the eastern United States, it will appear at 7:49 pm Eastern Daylight Time (23:49 UT). In London, the time for the Pink Full Moon is 11:49 pm local time and in Chicago, it would be at 6:49 pm local time. The phase of the Moon is determined by its position relative to Earth, so the timing depends on one's time zone.

The Pink Full Moon also holds cultural importance for several religions including Hinduism. In the Hindu religion, the Pink Full Moon is associated with the celebration of ‘Hanuman Jayanti’, the birth anniversary of Lord Hanuman. In Buddhism, the Pink Moon is celebrated as the Lord Buddha’s birthday, known as ‘Vesak’ or ‘Buddha Purnima’.

In the Christian ecclesiastical calendar, the Pink Full Moon is called the ‘Paschal Moon’ because it is the full moon before Easter. Across the globe, the April Full Moon or the Pink Full Moon is known by different names such as the Sprouting Grass Moon, the Growing Moon, and the Fish Moon. In the UK, the April Full Moon is called the Egg Moon.