April's full moon, known as the Pink Moon, is set to peak within hours of Nasa's Artemis II launch, marking the first crewed lunar mission in over 50 years. The moon will reach its fullest point at 3:12am BST on Thursday, just after the Artemis II spacecraft is scheduled to lift off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 6:24pm EDT on Wednesday.
The Artemis II mission will carry a four-person crew on a 10-day journey around the Moon, taking them further from Earth than any human has travelled before. This is due to the Moon's orbital position in early April 2026, which is slightly further away than during the Apollo 13 mission in 1970.
While the Orion spacecraft will not be visible to the naked eye, a live feed of its position will be available on Nasa's website. The Pink Moon, named after the flowers that bloom at this time of year, will be visible across much of the UK, though cloud cover may obscure views in the south east and north east of England, according to the Met Office.
Despite its name, the Moon will not actually appear pink, though it may take on a pinkish hue near the horizon due to atmospheric conditions. The Moon will continue to appear full on Thursday night, offering a second chance to view it. The next full moon, the Flower Moon, will occur at 6:23pm BST on Friday, 1 May.
