April's full "Pink Moon" dazzled stargazers with a glorious display of moonlight on April 1, mere hours before NASA's Artemis 2 mission launched 4 astronauts on a 10-day journey to the far side of the moon.
The April full moon is also known as the Pink Moon in North America, in reference to the ground-blooming plant phlox, which flowers in early spring in regions of the U.S. During a full moon, the lunar disk appears completely lit from our perspective on Earth as it travels opposite the sun in our sky.
"We have a beautiful moon rise, we're headed right at it," said Artemis 2 mission commander Wiseman to ground control, minutes after enduring a bone-shaking ride up through Earth's atmosphere. That same moon rose over billions of stargazers spread across the globe, including countless photographers who have already shared jaw-dropping images of the lunar spectacle.
Read on to see a selection of incredible photographs of the April full moon. If you missed it last night, there's no need to fret, as the lunar disk will still appear almost full to the naked eye over the coming nights. Check out our daily breakdown of the Artemis 2 mission to discover what the astronauts will be getting up to as they journey around the moon and be sure to stay up to date with the latest news with our mission live blog.
Gorgeous photographs of the April full moon
Our first image was taken by photographer Josh Dury using a 600mm telephoto lens in the preadwn hours of April 2, as the full Pink Moon loomed low over the western horizon above a trio of crosses lining the Brent Knoll in Somerset, UK.
"I was drawn to the astronomical timing of 'moveable feasts' based on the paschal full moon; the first to occur on or after March 21," Dury told Space.com. "With The Passover coinciding with the first full moon of spring and Easter falling on the first Sunday after the spring full moon. As is the case this year, the full paschal moon was due this morning on Thursday 2nd April and Easter this coming Sunday, the 5th April."
Gregg Newton captured the April full moon as it rose over the eastern horizon from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 1, with the enormous countdown clock showing the amount of time elapsed since the launch of the Artemis 2 moon rocket.
That same moon was captured from 925 miles (1,490 kilometers) away by Lokman Vural Elibol as it glowed between the illuminated tips of the Empire State Building and another New York skyscraper.
Gary Hershorn captured those same skyscrapers as the moon passed behind the spire of the Empire State Building from Union City, New Jersey, revealing more of the urban skyline as artificial and natural light teamed up to illuminate the night.
This spectacular view of the yellow full moon was captured by Kirill Kudryavstev from the city of Frankfurt, Germany, as a Boeing 777 commercial jet skimmed across the bottom of the lunar disk, leaving atmospheric distortion in its wake.
Returning to the theme of lunar exploration, Luis Robayo snapped this well-timed image of the lunar disk as it hung over an obelisk in the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina. A massive Artemis 2 Space Launch System rocket can be seen projected onto the monument, seemingly ready to launch on its own mission to the moon.
This beautifully detailed shot of the moon was captured on March 31 from Miami, Florida by Megan Briggs, the night before it reached its full moon phase. Ancient lava fields can be seen as dark lunar maria marring the silvery lunar surface, which themselves are threaded with bright streaks of reflective debris strewn across the surface by violent asteroid strikes.
Kirill Kudrayavtsev, meanwhile, opted to place a foreground object in his composition, creating a beautifully contrasting image as the black silhouette of the weathervane of the Church of the Three Kings lay across the glowing yellow moon.
In Washington D.C., photographer J. David Ake was able to image Earth's natural satellite as it glowed above the Lincoln Memorial, keeping "Honest Abe" company, even as clouds streaked its ancient surface.
Finally, Apu Gomes took in the scene as the Pink Moon rose over California's Venice Beach, surrounded by palm trees as it took to the early spring sky.
Feeling inspired to capture your own photos of Earth's natural satellite? Then be sure to check out our guide to photographing the moon, along with our picks of the best cameras and lenses for astrophotography.
Editor's Note: If you would like to share your astrophotography with Space.com's readers, then please send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@space.com.
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