Skip to main content

Pink moon to light up the South Texas sky over the weekend

The pink moon will rise on Saturday with the arrival of a new lunar phase

April "Spring" full moon Saturday April 12th. (Copyright 2025 by KSAT - All rights reserved.)

Despite its colorful name, don’t expect to see a rosy hue in the sky — the pink moon won’t be pink.

The name comes from a pink wildflower that’s among the earliest to bloom in spring across parts of North America.

This will be 2025’s fourth full moon and the smallest full moon of the year, known as a “micromoon” — the opposite of a supermoon.

A micromoon occurs when the moon is at or near its farthest point from Earth, making it appear smaller and dimmer.

When to Watch

The pink moon will reach its peak illumination at 7:22 p.m. CDT on Saturday, just before the sun sets around 8 p.m.

It will rise at 7:58 p.m. and remain visible through the night, setting at 7:18 a.m. Sunday morning, according to timeanddate.com.

What’s the Forecast

Luckily for us, we will have clear skies. The bad news is that the sun won’t set until after the “peak” of the full moon.

Saturday evening planner (Copyright 2025 by KSAT - All rights reserved.)

More Than Just “Pink”

Multiple cultures have different names for April’s full moon, each reflecting seasonal changes in nature. Some of these are: Breaking Ice Moon, Moon When the Streams Are Again Navigable, Budding Moon of Plants and Shrubs, Moon When the Ducks Come Back, Moon When the Geese Lay Eggs and the Frog Moon.

These names celebrate the signs of spring — from melting rivers and budding plants to the return of migratory birds and the reemergence of frogs and fish.

The Paschal Moon and Easter

This year, April’s full moon holds special significance in the Christian calendar. As the first full moon after the spring equinox, it is known as the Paschal Moon. The date of Easter — which falls on Sunday, April 20 this year — is determined based on this lunar event.

Specifically, Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday following the Paschal Full Moon, which is why the holiday shifts from year to year.

Have a photo to submit? Upload to KSAT Connect here!


About the Author
Shelby Ebertowski headshot

Shelby Ebertowski joined KSAT 12 News in January 2025. She came to San Antonio from Fargo, North Dakota via the University of North Dakota, where she learned the ropes as a weekend forecaster over two years at KVLY. Her love of weather love began after experiencing Hurricane Harvey in 2017.

Loading...