Moon Phases

April full moon is the Pink Moon overnight on April 1

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March 29, 2026

Sky chart: The full moon near the star Spica, along the steep green ecliptic line. — As darkness falls on April 1, 2026, the full moon – known as the Pink Moon – glows above the bright star Spica. They’ll be visible all night. Chart via EarthSky.

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When and where to look in 2026: Look for the bright, round full moon climbing up in the eastern sky as the evening twilight darkens on April 1. The moon will glow high in the south near midnight. And it’ll drop low in the west before sunrise on April 2. Also, the moon will appear full and round in the evenings before and after the full moon.

Crest of the full moon falls at 2:12 UTC on April 2, 2026. That’s 9:12 p.m. CDT on April 1 in central North America. As it rises, the April 1 full moon will be close to the star Spica in the constellation Virgo the Maiden.

Diagram: Earth between the moon and the sun, with Earth and moon orbits. — At full moon, the sun, Earth, and moon are aligned in space, with Earth in the middle. The moon’s day side – its fully lighted hemisphere – directly faces us. Chart via EarthSky.

Join EarthSky’s Marcy Curran for a preview of April’s full Pink Moon near Spica overnight on April 1, 2026. The moon will also be near the Spring Triangle. Don’t miss them!

Fun fact about full moons

At full moon, the sun, Earth, and moon are aligned in space, with Earth in the middle. And the moon’s day side – its fully lighted hemisphere – directly faces us. That is why the moon appears full. In other words, a full moon always lies on the opposite side of the sky from the sun.

So on the night of full moon, the moon and sun in our sky behave as if they’re on two ends of a seesaw: the sun goes down, and the moon comes up. Around midnight, when the sun is below your feet, you’ll find the moon at its highest in the sky. Finally, all full moons set along the western horizon close to the time of sunrise.

April’s full moon is the Pink Moon

This is a beautiful time of year, especially when the full moon rises! April’s full moon has the nickname of the Pink Moon. That’s because of all the blooming flowers and trees, such as the pink creeping phlox.

The moment of full moon – when the moon reaches that point in its orbit directly opposite the sun in the sky – is April 2 at 2:12 UTC (9:12 p.m. CDT on April 1). However, a full moon is considered any 12 hours before or after the crest.

As it rises in the east, the Pink Moon will glow brightly above Spica, the brightest star in the constellation Virgo. In the hour just after midnight, the moon – and Spica – will arc above the southern horizon. Then the moon and Spica will set in the west just as the sun rises in the east on April 2.

April full moon shines in Virgo

The April full moon can lie in front of one of two constellations of the zodiac. In most years, as it will this year, it lands in Virgo the Maiden. But if the full moon occurs in the final few days of the month, it can fall in the neighboring constellation, Libra the Scales. But that doesn’t happen often, and won’t happen again until 2037.

Diagram: Earth, with full white moon and a straight arrow going from Earth through moon to Spica. — April’s full moon will appear near Spica on the sky’s dome. Chart via EarthSky.

Spotting Spica

With the full moon being so very bright, can you see Spica? If not, try blocking the moon behind a foreground object such as your finger or a utility pole.

Spica is an important star for learning the night sky because it is the southern member of the Spring Triangle. This asterism also includes Arcturus and Regulus. Arcturus is easily found because it is the second brightest star seen from mid-northern latitudes. Regulus is the brightest star in Leo. Spica, Arcturus and Regulus form an attractive isosceles triangle.

Many stargazers, however, consider Arcturus, Spica, and the moderately bright Denebola (the easternmost star in Leo) as comprising the Spring Triangle. They create an easily recognizable equilateral triangle.

Sky chart: A triangle with stars at the corners, a smaller triangle inside it, and the moon near the bottom corner. — In the early evening of April 1, the full moon will glow above the bright star Spica, which is a member of the Spring Triangle asterism. Some viewers consider Regulus and Arcturus as the other 2 members. However, others consider Arcturus and the moderately bright star Denebola as members of the triangle. Chart via EarthSky.

Bottom line: The April 2026 full Pink Moon is on the overnight of April 1. It will lie near the star Spica in the constellation Virgo the Maiden. At full moon, the moon rises in the east around sunset. It climbs highest in the sky around midnight. And it sets in the west around sunrise.

Posted

March 29, 2026

Moon Phases

John Jardine Goss

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About the Author:

“I can sometimes see the moon in the daytime” was a cosmic revelation that John Jardine Goss first discovered through personal observations at age 6. It shook his young concept of the universe and launched his interest in astronomy and stargazing, a fascination he still holds today. John is past president of the Astronomical League, the largest U.S. federation of astronomical societies, with over 24,000 members. He's earned the title of Master Observer and is a regular contributor to the video series, “Global Star Party.” He has authored the celestial observing guides “Exploring the Starry Realm,” and “Carpe Lunam,” and “Take Your First Steps, an Introduction to Amateur Astronomy.” John also wrote for twenty years the monthly stargazing column, Roanoke Skies, for the Roanoke Times, and currently writes a bimonthly column, Skywatch, for Blue Ridge Country magazine. He has contributed to Sky and Telescope magazine, the IDA Nightscape, the Astronomical League’s Reflector magazine, and the RASC Observer’s Handbook.

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