Stargazing 2017: Full ‘Pink Moon’ to Illuminate the Skies on April 11

The Pink Moon will be rising on Tuesday, April 11. It will be at its most impressive in the middle of the night, so skywatchers who are out and about will want to look up at the full moon.

This lunar event -- long dubbed the "Pink Moon" -- happens at around the same time each year, but it has nothing to do with the color of the moon, according to a report from Space.com. The catchy monicker simply refers to the full moon during the month of April, which happens to be early springtime and the season when pink flowers, called wild ground phlox, blossom throughout the United States and Canada.

Everyone who wants to see the "full phase" of the Pink Moon -- the point when the moon is precisely on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun -- will be at 2:08 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, April 11. Those on the West Coast can spot the peak a little bit earlier at 11:08 p.m. PDT on Monday, April 10.

However, the Pink Moon will look full to people from April 10 to 12. Those who want to find out what time the Pink Moon sets and rises in their location can check online to be certain.

There are other astrological events that are expected to light up the April sky. From April 16 to 25, the annual Lyrids meteor shower will be falling, with the greatest number of meteors occurring a few hours before dawn of April 22, according to a report from Earth Sky. Although skywatchers can get a glimpse of around 10 to 20 meteors during the Lyrids meteor shower's peak, it's worth noting that meteor showers can be very unpredictable.

Meanwhile, the new moon will be on April 26, a report from Mother Nature Network. A few days later, the International Astronomy Day will be celebrated worldwide.