A full "pink moon" is slated to illuminate Metro Vancouver toward the end of April - but you won't see a rosy glow in the region.
Despite an intriguing name, April's full moon isn't called the pink moon because of its colour.
The April moon derives its name from "heralding the appearance of the 'moss pink,' or wild ground phlox—one of the first spring flowers," describes The Old Farmer's Almanac. Native peoples would give distinctive names to each reoccurring full moon to mark the change of seasons.
The April full moon also goes by other names including the Full Sprouting Grass Moon, the Egg Moon, and the Full Fish Moon, according to Space.com.
The moon will reach maximum fullness at 4:48 p.m. on Tuesday, April 23, according to timeanddate.com.
The Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival runs from March 29 to April 25, meaning locals can bathe in the light of the silvery moon just before the annual event wraps, provided the Metro Vancouver weather forecast cooperates.
Will April's full moon be considered the paschal moon again?
Last year, the April full lunar offering was also known as the Paschal Full Moon because it was the moon that occurred after the spring equinox on March 21. According to Christian observers the full "paschal moon" determines when Easter is held.
March's full "worm moon" fell on March 25 right after the equinox, meaning Easter was observed earlier this year.
"The dates of the full Moon and the March equinox that are used to calculate Easter are not the astronomical dates of these events, but rather the ecclesiastical dates," notes the Old Farmer's Almanac.
The term "paschal" is derived from the word "pascha," which is Greek or Latin for Passover.
Skywatchers keen on seeing a supersized moon - or at least one that appears so - will have to wait until the summer. The first of multiple "supermoons" kicks off in August.
Stay up-to-date with hyperlocal forecasts across 50 neighbourhoods in the Lower Mainland with V.I.A.'s Weatherhood.
