No, the Moon will Not be Pink Tonight

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the characterization of the upcoming full moon, referred to as the "pink supermoon," and the accuracy of media representations regarding its appearance and significance. Participants explore the reasons behind the term "pink" and the implications of the moon's distance from Earth during this event.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Meta-discussion

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express skepticism about the media's portrayal of the "pink supermoon," suggesting it is driven by clickbait rather than scientific accuracy.
  • There is a question raised about what specifically makes the moon appear "pink," with some humorously attributing it to Photoshop.
  • One participant points out that the moon's appearance may also be affected by atmospheric conditions, such as being low in a "gungy sky."
  • A participant highlights a correction regarding the timing of the moon's perigee, noting that earlier announcements mistakenly referred to March instead of April, which has implications for understanding the moon's size.
  • Another participant quotes an expert who suggests that the term "supermoon" may lead to disappointment, as the differences in size are not visually apparent to observers.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the significance of the "pink supermoon" or the accuracy of its portrayal in the media. Multiple competing views regarding its appearance and the implications of the term "supermoon" remain present.

Contextual Notes

There are unresolved questions regarding the visibility of differences in the moon's size due to its distance from Earth, as well as the impact of atmospheric conditions on its appearance.

russ_watters
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TL;DR
The moon won't be pink tonight.
Sigh.

Here's USA Today:

USAT.jpg

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news...-full-moon-coming-tuesday-april-7/5115114002/

Here's my local news:
20200407_123513.jpg


In both cases, they describe it properly in the article/report, but I guess they got to have that clickbait/headline grabber. The USA Today cover photo looks like a moon low on the horizon, whereas the one in my local news was a video clip of an eclipse with poor tracking playing behind the narrative.

A "supermoon" is a full moon when the moon is relatively close to perigee (I'm guessing within 24hrs, but it's arbitrary). The "pink" is merely due to the fact that it's April and some flowers bloom in April and some flowers are pink.
 
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russ_watters said:
...
Yeah, OK but what makes it Pink?? :)) :wink:
 
Photoshop :wink:
 
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gmax137 said:
Yeah, OK but what makes it Pink?? :)) :wink:

lomidrevo said:
Photoshop :wink:

yeah, and or being low in a gungy sky at time of photo
 
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+ originaly they had the month wrong (for perigee etc. ) (they had announced it for March 9, 2020 ... - read article ...) :
https://www.space.com/biggest-supermoon-2020-super-pink-moon-guide.html

"
Oops! Wrong month...In the 2020 edition of the Observer's Handbook of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada is a notation that the full moon of March 9 was the "largest in 2020."
But that was a mistake. The moon was actually 71 miles (115 km) farther away last month, making the moon appear ever-so-slightly smaller compared to April's full moon. The Handbook is a highly reputable publication; the "Bible" for assiduous skywatchers. That innocent notation that the March full moon was the largest (in apparent size) in 2020 was unfortunately promulgated in many publications.What happened? Space.com asked Patrick Kelly, who compiles "The Sky Month by Month" section for the Handbook, who conceded the error and explained: "I am not sure why I picked March." Kelly added, "I find calling anything a 'supermoon' just leads to disappointment as there is no visible difference. To quote [American philosopher] William James: 'A difference which makes no difference is no difference at all.'"So, while Tuesday's full moon will be the largest one of the year, the variation of themoon's distance from Earth is not readily apparent to observers viewing the moon directly. Or is it? "