Page 53 - 2021 Almanac

Phases of the Moon in April 2021
Last Quarter New Moon First Quarter Full Moon
4th April 12th April 20th April 27th April
Do you know the difference between a new moon, a full moon and a blue moon?
A new moon is a moon we cannot see from Earth! This is because the moon is so close to the sun at this point, that the side facing us is in darkness. In other words, the moon is between the Earth and the sun and therefore is not lit up.
A full moon is when the complete circle of the moon can be seen in the sky. The full moon in April is called the ‘Pink Moon’.
A blue moon happens when there are two full moons in the same month. The last blue moon
was on 31 October 2020, and
the next one will be 31 August
2023. This is because the moon goes through all of its phases in 28 days, whereas our months can be 28, 29, 30 or 31 days long. So every two or three years, there will be a month or two in the year when there are two
full moons.
On 23rd April, the Lyrids meteor shower will be at its height. You might be able to see shooting stars associated with the shower any time from 19th to 25th April if the night sky is clear.
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