By Ronald Williams
The full moon in April is sometimes referred to as the “pink moon,” but that has nothing to do with its actual color. The name likely derives from the pink flowers of moss phlox — a plant native to eastern North America — which often blooms around this time of year.
This month’s full moon, occurring on April 26, is notable because it will be a “supermoon.” This refers to any full moon that occurs when the moon is within 10 percent of its perigee, or minimum distance from Earth.
In this photo, made on April 18, the round smooth area toward the top is the Sea of Serenity. The more irregular flat area below it is the Sea of Tranquility where the Apollo 11 astronauts, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, landed on July 20, 1969.