The warm evening and the opportunity to see the full moon drew many to the lakefront on April 26. At Lighthouse Beach, children dug in the sand and threw stones into the lake, while adults chatted in small groups – on the beach, along the riprap, around a fire in the council ring, and in the dunes.
Clouds obscured the moon’s rise above the horizon but soon the Pink Moon was visible, shining pink-orange above the darkening blue waters, less than three hours before the crest of the full moon, said to be at 10:32 p.m.
The prospect of an almost-full moon attracted some skywatchers on April 25. A few huddled against the wind at Clark Square, mindful of waves crashing over the riprap but left before the moon rose. At Lovelace Park, the bright moon emphasized the stillness of the pond and its surroundings.
The April 26 full moon was the first in a series of three consecutive full supermoons, according to an article in earthsky.org, with the next two on May 26 and June 24. A full supermoon can appear larger and brighter than other full moons, and the April 26 full moon was about 8% closer to Earth than an average full moon. The May 26 supermoon will be the closest full supermoon of 2021. The smallest and most distant full moon – a “micromoon” – will appear on Dec. 19.