April 2024 full moon rises Tuesday night. But why is it called the 'pink moon'?

Following its blockbuster role as part of the total solar eclipse in early April, the moon is making another notable appearance in the sky this week. This time, the full "pink" moon will rise in the evening sky Tuesday, but it will appear full for several nights.

But barring some unforeseen atmospheric phenomena – such as wildfire smoke – the moon won't actually appear pink to our eyes. Instead, the moon should be "its usual golden color near the horizon and fade to a bright white as it glides overhead," according to the Old Farmer's Almanac.

The full moon in April instead gets its name from one of the earliest widespread flowers of spring. Here's what to know:

When is April's full moon?

The full moon will happen on Tuesday, April 23, at 4:49 p.m. Pacific.

To our eyes, the moon will appear full for about three days, from Monday morning to Thursday morning, NASA said.

Why is it called the pink moon?

For millennia, people across the world, including Native Americans, named the months after nature’s cues. Each full moon has its own name.

According to NASA, the Maine Farmers' Almanac began publishing Native American names for full moons in the 1930s and these names are now widely known and used.

The full moon in April is known as the pink moon, named after the herb moss pink, also known as creeping phlox, moss phlox or mountain phlox. This is a plant native to the eastern United States that is one of the earliest widespread flowers of spring.

Creeping phlox thrives in sandy or rocky soils and is often used as a ground cover, the Farmer's Almanac said.

NASA said other names for this moon include the sprouting grass moon, the egg moon and – among coastal tribes of North America – the fish moon, because this was when the shad swam upstream to spawn.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: April 2024 full moon rises Tuesday and is called the 'pink moon'