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Wake up on April Fool's Day (April 1) to something that sounds like a prank but absolutely isn't: the 'Pink Moon' rising full and brilliant across the sky, ready to kick off the month with a bit of celestial magic.
Now, before you get your hopes up, the Pink Moon won't actually turn the colour of a strawberry milkshake (and no, there still aren't any rabbits up there either). The name comes from Native American lunar calendars, where each full moon gets christened based on what's happening down here on Earth.
In April, it's all about the phlox – a gorgeous wildflower that carpets American meadows in bright pink blooms, announcing that spring has properly arrived. The tribes took inspiration from these blossoms to name the moon, marking the season's full swing into warmer, brighter days.
The moon itself stays its usual pearly white, but what makes this night special is how massive and radiant it looks hanging there in the sky. The moon starts rising in the east around 6:30pm on April 1 and stays visible throughout the night until the early hours of April 2. You can catch it with your bare eyes from anywhere in the country, though if there's enough dust or pollution floating about in the atmosphere, you might spot a faint pinkish tinge. Worth keeping an eye out for.
Even though the moon won't go pink like the name suggests, finding yourself a decent open spot away from city lights to watch the full moon ushering in warmer days makes for a pretty memorable astronomical moment.
Other cultures have their own names for April's full moon – Egg Moon (celebrating animals getting broody) or Sprouting Grass Moon – all pointing to the same thing: nature waking up and starting fresh.
So on the night of April 1, take a breather from whatever madness the day's thrown at you and look up. Give yourself a moment to appreciate the full moon doing its thing, and let it set the tone for the month ahead. Bit of cosmic energy never hurt anyone.