April's full moon decides the date of Easter — here's how it works

Full moon with branches covered in blossom in the foreground. the entire sky takes on a dusky pink hue.

The first full moon of spring rises on April 1 and it plays a crucial role in setting the date of Easter.

The official moment that the moon will turn full is 10:12 p.m. EDT. Interestingly, at the instant of that full moon, its position in the sky will place it about a dozen degrees to the southeast of the spot that is occupied by the sun on the first day of autumn. And the full moon occurring nearest to the autumnal equinox is traditionally called the Harvest Moon. What sets the Harvest Moon apart from the others is that, instead of moonrise occurring at its normal average of 50 minutes later each day, it seems to rise at nearly the same time for several nights.