BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – Visitors headed to Florida’s Space Coast to watch the historic Artemis II launch on Wednesday may be in for a special surprise: a full moon.
This “pink moon” — which isn’t likely to actually appear pink in color — is the fourth full moon of 2026, named for the pink phlox wildflowers that bloom around this time of year in North America.
According to Forbes, the moon will be officially full around 10:13 p.m. on Wednesday, and it’ll be best seen in the east at the time of moonrise. The moon will also appear bright and full on Thursday.
However, some spacegazers along the east coast of Florida may also spot this moon around the same time as the historic Artemis II mission launch.
[BELOW: Artemis II’s launch may be heard from miles away. Here’s how far]
NASA’s now-delayed Artemis II mission is the second phase of a series of missions ultimately aimed at sending humans to Mars.
Artemis II will send four astronauts around the moon in the first crewed flight test of the Space Launch System rocket and the Orion Spacecraft.
The Space Launch System (SLS) rocket is set to launch from the Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday night, with the two-hour launch window kicking off at 6:24 p.m.
[BELOW: What to know about the Artemis II mission]
Meanwhile, the next full moon — dubbed the “flower moon” — is slated for May 1. Another full moon is expected to follow it in the same month on May 31, the “blue moon.”
For more information on how to watch the Artemis II launch, click here.