Although Earth Day's full moon, also known as a "micro-moon," is going to be the smallest full moon of 2016, it's also known as the "Pink Moon," which in many cultures is seen as sign of fertility and a time to work on relationships. However, for those planning on taking a look at Earth Day's mini-moon, bear in mind that it won't appear pink to you.
The Pink Moon received its name from the wild ground phlox flower, one of the earliest widespread flowers to bloom in the spring. It is also referred to as the Sprouting Grass moon and Egg moon.
In addition, some coastal American Indian tribes call it the Full Fish moon due to its timing with the shad fish species' journey upstream to spawn. The use of names for the full moon originates from Native Americans that inhabited what is now northern and eastern United States. These tribes kept track of seasons by giving names to each recurring full moon.
As the name suggests, tonight's full moon will look smaller than other moons. Obviously the moon doesn't shrink in size, so why does it appear this way? It stems from the fact that the moon's rotation around the planet and phase cycles don't last as long as usual. This makes it the opposite of a full moon supermoon, which happens when the full moon coincides with perigee - the closest point to the Earth from the moon and the moment when the moon appears biggest.
For those that want to catch the mini-moon from their home, the mini-moon will be very visible in the sky. Although it technically rose on Thursday, it will be visible for about three days. Even if the mini-moon is remotely in your area, you will be able to see much more light than you normally do at night.
If you happen to miss the mini-moon, it won't happen again until June 2017, so make an effort to catch it for Earth Day. For those that don't want to venture out of their home, you can also watch video highlights of the full moon and catch it in action.
