The Naming of Moons - April

April's Moon

Egg Moon, Pink Moon, Sprouting Grass Moon, Fish Moon, Seed Moon, Waking Moon.

My favourite is from the song of Hiawatha – the moon of bright nights.

If the full moon were to fall before the 14th it would be Alder, if after the 14th like this april it’s a Willow moon, according to the new fangled version of the ancient Celtic tree lunar calendar. But some sources will just group April with Alder, without the split mid month. I believe the best way to celebrate any type of tree lunar calendar is to watch the trees, depending on where you are, the temperature and weather you’ve been having the trees leaves will emerge at slightly different times. The weeping willow’s leaves have just emerged in the last week, I would watch, observer and see what emerges with the new and full moons and celebrate those links rather than those laid out by any arbitrary system.

Other names – planting moon, growing moon & moon of utility.

Any other names where you are? In different cultures?

Astronomical Events in April

3rd April - Disseminating Moon 18:23 in Scorpio near Antares
4th April – Mercury near Venus
6th April - 3rd Quarter 09:36 in Sagittarius
9th April - Balsamic Crescent 3:52 in Capricorn
11th April – Moon near Jupiter (morning sky)
14th April - New Moon 12:28 in Pisces
17th April – Moon near Pleiades evening sky
17th April – Mars near Beehive cluster (M44)
19th April Crescent Moon 10:20 in Gemini
21st April - 1st Quarter 18:19 in Cancer
22nd April - Lyrids Meteor Shower Peaks at 17h UT
The Lyrids are are active between the 16-25th April
22nd April – Moon near Beehive cluster (M44) in evening sky
22nd April – Moon near Mars in evening sky
23rd April – Moon near Regulus in the Evening Sky
24th April - Gibbous Moon 0:39 in between Leo & Sextans
25th April – Venus near Pleiades in the evening sky
25th April – Moon near Saturn (Evening Sky)
27th April – Moon near Spica (Evening Sky)
28th April - Full Moon 12:18 in between Virgo & Libra
30th April – Moon near Antares in the Morning Sky