April’s ‘pink’ supermoon is the biggest of 2020, peaking Tuesday night

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The biggest and brightest supermoon of 2020 will be peaking at 10:35 p.m. Tuesday, April 7, across Southwest Florida.

Of the three supermoons this year, April’s supermoon will come closest to Earth and will appear the largest. April’s “pink” supermoon is the second of three to occur in a row, following March’s super “worm” moon and prior to May’s super “flower” moon on May 7th.

A supermoon occurs when a full moon falls at the same time the moon is closer than normal to the Earth. The moon’s close proximity makes it look up to 14% larger and 30% brighter than a full moon would at its farthest point.

While it has the name “pink”, you shouldn’t expect to see a significant pink hue.

According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, April’s full moon often fell during the early blooms of Phlox subulata, a pink wildflower native to eastern North America. The wildflower is often referred to as “creeping phlox”, “moss phlox”, or “moss pink”. Each full moon has its own name, from January’s “wolf” moon to December’s “cold” moon.

For us locally in Southwest Florida, expect temperatures largely in the 70s tonight, conditions a bit muggy, and partly cloudy skies for your supermoon viewing.

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