Saturday's Full Moon Will Be Opposite of a Supermoon

Get ready to gaze upward this Saturday night, as a micromoon makes a subtle yet celestial appearance in the night sky. The full moon will appear smaller and dimmer than usual, the AP reports. This happens when the moon is at its farthest point from Earth. "It's a very subtle difference," says Alain Brizard, an astrophysicist. This contrasts with a supermoon, a micromoon's opposite, when the moon is closer and appears larger. The next micromoon is next month, and supermoons will be visible in October, November, and December.

This month's full moon is a moon of many names, the Washington Post reports. Its most common name, the pink moon, comes from phlox subulata, a mossy plant that produces pink flowers in springtime. As the first full moon after the spring equinox, it's also known as the Paschal moon, which determines the date of Easter. Other names include the sprouting grass moon, the fish moon, and the egg moon, per CTInsider. (This content was created with the help of AI. Read our AI policy.)