Texas Will Be Treated to a Beautiful Supermoon Monday Night
I know it's a work night, but it'd really be worth staying up late tonight and looking to the sky because we're in for a real treat.
If the clouds clear out tonight, Central Texans will be witness to a gorgeous celestial event: the first of three supermoons expected this year.
According to NASA, the moon will be at its closest approach to Earth tonight and directly opposite the sun. That means it'll appear bigger and brighter than usual.
If skies are clear enough, we should see the "pink moon" at its best at 10:30 PM Central Time. If we miss it tonight, there are more supermoon events coming up on May 26 and June 24. In fact, the May 26 event will include a total lunar eclipse early in the morning.
So, why do they call it a "pink moon". No, it won't actually look pink. Well...unless you live in a really polluted place, in which case...please move.
No, it's called the "pink moon" thanks to the publishers of the Maine Farmer's Almanac, who coined the term in the 1930s to refer to the Spring supermoon's appearance while the beautiful pink creepy phlox flower was in bloom.
NASA lists some other names for the moon too, including the Sprouting Grass Moon, the Egg Moon, and the Fish Moon. All have to do with the moon's timing as interpreted by various cultures.
By the way, did you know the Eastern Orthodox Church and other Eastern Christianity denominations celebrate Easter on May 2? I just learned about that from NASA's article about the supermoon, as well as the fact that tonight's moon has special significance to Hindus and Buddhists too.
Carl Sagan was fond of saying that ancient people were as familiar with the night sky as you and are with our favorite TV shows. When you think about it, what else was there to do?
Tonight, take a break from streaming shows or binging ESPN to look up at the sky and appreciate the supermoon. These things should still mean a lot to us.