                        Astronomy Picture of the Day

    Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                                2021 April 30

                          Pink and the Perigee Moon
                    Image Credit & Copyright: Alice Ross

   Explanation: On April 25 a nearly full moon rose just before sunset.
   Welcomed in a clear blue sky and framed by cherry blossoms, its
   familiar face was captured in this snapshot from Leith, Edinburgh,
   Scotland. Known to some as a Pink Moon, April's full lunar phase
   occurred with the moon near perigee. That's the closest point in its
   not-quite-circular orbit around planet Earth, making this Pink Moon one
   of the closest and brightest full moons of the year. If you missed it,
   don't worry. Your next chance to see a full perigee moon will be on May
   26. Known to some as a Flower Moon, May's full moon will actually be
   closer to you than April's by about 98 miles (158 kilometers), or about
   0.04% the distance from the Earth to the Moon at perigee.

                      Tomorrow's picture: light-weekend
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       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply.
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                             & Michigan Tech. U.

