Everything You Need To Know About Tonight’s ‘Pink’ Super Moon, From Astrology To Photography Tips

Sonia is a travel, lifestyle, and design writer and editor…

Assemble your moon-loving mates, tonight on Tuesday 27th the April pink super moon 2021 reaches peak fullness.

“Guarda la luna!” my Nonna would say to me when I was a little girl, my wide eyes peering up at the huge glowing orb in the sky. I was as enchanted by the moon then as I am now and full moons are a special kind of magic. These celestial events affect us all, so when there’s going to be a goodie like the April super pink moon, you want to know about it.

Here’s when it’s going to rise, how to nail the perfect shot and what it means emotionally. And if you’re keen to go stargazing, these are the best spots to do so across Australia.

What it all means

Tonight, Aussies can catch a glimpse of an April super pink moon. While we’re treated to a full moon each month, super moons are less common, happening about twice a year. Moons are dubbed super moons when either a new moon or full moon reaches the closest point to Earth in its elliptical orbit, making it appear fuller and brighter.

The pink part of the equation is down to the time of year we’re seeing it, not its actual colour, unfortunately. The name originates from pink phlox, a US flower that blooms in springtime (the same time as the appearance of this moon). While we’re obviously in the throes of autumn down here in the southern hemi, the name has stuck.

For centuries, the moon has been said to affect our moods and emotions and there’s increasing evidence to support these theories, so it might be wise to take it easy today as super moons are said to have stronger gravitational pulls than regular moons.

When is the best time to see the super pink moon thriving?

The times shown below apply from the night of April 27 to the morning of April 28.

Sydney: 5:33pm – 7:18am
Brisbane: 5:33pm – 7:00am
Hobart: 5:36pm – 7:52am
Canberra: 5:40pm – 7:29am
Melbourne: 5:53pm – 7:51am
Adelaide: 5:53pm – 7:43am
Perth: 6:01pm – 7:43am
Darwin: 6:50pm – 7:43am

How to nail your shot of the April super pink moon

If you’re hoping to snap a shot of the glowing pink orb, Nikon School lecturer and astrophotographer Steven Morris reckons your best bet is a tripod and a camera that will allow you to use focal lengths of 200mm or more. Read: your camera phone probably won’t cut it.

If you ARE one of those budding photographer types, Steven says, “a quick exposure of around 1/800th or faster helps with countering the earth’s rotation and leaves you with a nice clear image”.

“For nice, sharp results, use an aperture of around F/8,” he continues, “[and] depending on the phase of the moon ISO may need to be increased.”

What does it mean astrologically?

If you’re into astrology, this full moon is a full mood – such is the archetype of mysterious, passionate and deep Scorpio.

Scorpio is intrinsically connected to all things that remain unseen, as well as death and rebirth. So a big theme for tonight’s super moon is transformation and dealing with stuff beyond the surface. It’s also known for being quite romantic.