Tonight, the skies of Southeast Michigan prepare to showcase the annual celestial display known as the Pink Moon. As per the report by CBS Detroit, while earlier showers are expected to subside, clear conditions will welcome the moon’s peak visibility around 7:49 p.m. Eastern Time.
The colorful moniker 'Pink Moon,' often mistaken by onlookers expecting a blushing orb, is actually a nod to the spring blossoms of Phlox subulata as clarified by Detroit Free Press. Spica, the brightest star in Virgo, will accompany the moonrise on the eastern horizon, making for a noteworthy pairing if the clouds keep at bay.
Holding significance across different cultures, this full moon dances by many names: the frog moon, and the moon when the geese lay eggs, to name a few. Mlive notes that the Great Lakes' Anishinaabeg people refer to it as Popogami Giizis, which translates to the Broken Snowshoe Moon.
For those devoted skygazers, the opportunity to witness this lunar event comes with a small window as dry conditions are anticipated only briefly before a freeze watch moves in after midnight. Those savoring the sight of April's Full Pink Moon may find temperatures dipping just below freezing, according to CBS Detroit. Looking forward, the lunar calendar promises the Flower Moon on May 23. But tonight, with a mix of tradition and science guiding their gazes upward, Michiganders and others in the Northern Hemisphere can indulge in the celestial narrative.
