Smoky Mountain Pink Moon

Smoky Mountain Pink Moon. The Pink Moon or “Fools Moon” will not be turning pink despite the name. April’s full Moon arrives on Tuesday, April 7, 2020.  This is the first supermoon of spring. While April is known for its showers and ever-warming temperatures, it is also known as a month when spring flowers begin to show up. Herb moss pink phlox, or “wild ground” phlox, is one of the earliest widespread flowers of the spring. As the name infers, the flowers are pink in color, thus the name for April’s full Moon—the Pink Moon. But no, the Moon itself won’t be turning pink.

But like all full Moons, it will be spectacular, so get outside and enjoy it! Be sure to look for it as it rises in the east on the 7th at 10:35 p.m. eastern time. This supermoon will be the closest one to the earth in 2020. There will not be one any larger this year!

This Moon has also been called the full Sprouting Grass Moon, the Egg Moon, and among coastal tribes, the full Fish Moon because this was the time that the shad swam upstream to spawn.

Full Moon names date back to Native Americans of North America. Tribes kept track of the seasons by giving distinctive names to each recurring full Moon. Full Moon names were applied to the entire month in which each occurred. There was some variation in the full Moon names, but in general, the same ones were consistent among regional tribes. European settlers followed that custom and created some of their own names.

Usually HeySmokies provides suggestions on the best places to view full moons but in the interest of social distancing we believe the best spot for viewing this year is your own home. Enjoy the moon everyone and be sure and send us your supermoon pics!