Supermoon April 2020: How it brought the world together
- Posted by
- Ally Sinyard
- Published
Did you look for last night’s pink supermoon? On Wednesday night, we looked skyward for a quiet moment of peace and reflection, all connected under the same night sky.
On Wednesday night, April’s pink supermoon rose into the clear, night sky and reminded us all of the beauty of Mother Nature.
With the current lockdown during the coronavirus pandemic clearing a lot of the air pollution from the city, this was a rare moment to see a wonder of the night sky with better visibility than we would normally.
A supermoon occurs when a full moon is at its closest orbit to the Earth. As a result, it looks larger and brighter than usual. The pink moon isn’t actually pink, though. If the nickname had you questioning your vision, it merely relates to it being springtime, when pink blossoms grow.
Honestly, a supermoon is the kind of thing I might have stopped to enjoy for a moment at my desk at night, or on a walk home from work or the pub – but seeing it last night was different.
While scrolling through Twitter during last night’s Bake Off, I noticed people posting about the #Supermoon and their shared feelings of awe, peace and tranquility gazing up at the night’s sky.
“Improbably, images of the #supermoon are cheering me up - at least for the moment,” wrote one user.
“Saw the supermoon just now and genuinely felt emotional… What a beaut,” tweeted another.
Feeling inspired, my housemate and I got up from the sofa, went downstairs in our pyjamas and stood on the driveway (a long, safe distance from the street, mind you).
We must have stood out there for about ten minutes, just staring, only breaking the silence to acknowledge it was the first time we’d been outside in the dark during lockdown.
In that moment, standing in the darkness and staring at the sky, I felt a sense of peace and perspective I hadn’t encountered during our time so far in lockdown.
Knowing that much of the city, the country, the planet were doing the same as us – looking at the supermoon from our windows, front doors and gardens – made me feel as connected with the whole world as it did a tiny, insignificant part of it.
When I look back on this time in years to come, I won’t forget last night – how the world pressed pause on feelings of fear and isolation to share a moment of beauty and togetherness.
It was soothing to be reminded that the world is not made for us, we’re just lucky enough to be on it together – even while we’re far apart – and should treasure these tranquil moments in the universe.
Images: Getty and Twitter