We do not miss the appointment tonight with the MICROLUNA ROSAthe beautiful full moon of April, which this time may seem smaller than usual. Perhaps a less famous show than the Superluna, but no less fascinating (it will also be the first microluna of the year). All ready the night between the 12 and 13 Aprilit’s just tonight.
What is the microluna
For microluna We mean a moon in the full or new phase at the apogee, the point of the lunar orbit farthest from the earth (even if, as for the most famous superluna, the definition has never been confirmed by theInternational Astronomic Union). When full, precisely because of its distance, it may appear smaller to us.
The one we will admire tonight, in particular, will be distant 406 thousand kilometers from the earth (against an average land-long distance of 384,400 km), apparently making itself smaller than about 6% of an average full moon.
Because Luna Rosa and other curiosities on the full moon of April
The full moon of April is called Pink moon In the American tradition, but the color of our satellite, as we always say, will not change at all: the name of Full Pink Moon (Full moon pink) derives from the abundance of moss phloxa small common pink flower that generally begins to spread on the ground in early spring.
Other names of this full moon refer to the spring which now begins to blossom: the tribe Comanchefor example, called her New spring moonand for both tribes Tincit And Sioux it was the Moon that blossoms.
But there is not only the American tradition. As he explains Moongiantin fact, in other cultures, the full moon pink also has a religious meaning: for example, in Islamic communities around the world, the full moon of April is celebrated as the night of Bapalso known as the Night of innocence.
Muslims offer prayers, asking God to fulfill the sins of dead ancestors, also prepare sweets like Halwa or Tsard and distribute them to children, needy and other members of their community.
Christians instead call it the Easter moon: this full moon is in fact also linked to the Easter datethat the Council of Nicea of 325 established would always be the Sunday following the first spring full moon: therefore, since thespring equinox of 2025 It was on March 20, the first spring full moon is this in April, therefore Easter will be celebrated on Sunday 20 April.
And it does not end here, because the full moon itself is also called Egg moonas animals like geese starts to mate and lay eggs in spring. And perhaps, precisely for this reason, the Easter bunny brings eggs.
What we will see the night between 12 and 13 April 2025
On the evening of April 12 we will have a beautiful full moon that could appear smaller precisely because more distant from us observers on earth. Our satellite will be technically full in full April 13, 2025 at 2.22 Italian timeas shown on the map. But all evening and night – time permitting – we can admire the show.
And if the weather is not Clemente (but we really hope so), the live broadcast of Virtual Telescope is also planned:
Micromoon 2025, The FarThest, disposable and fainst full moon of the year: online observation – 13 Apr. 2025
Good vision!
Sources: TimeandDate / Moongiant / Virtual Telescope
