A full moon will occur this evening. A total lunar eclipse accompanies this full moon. The eclipse, which reaches the mid point at 0009 Z on 4 April, will be visible first in the extreme eastern portion of North America when the dark umbral stage starts (2220 Z on 3 April). Residents of the central United States will see the end of the umbral stage at 0159 Z.
Today marks the occurrence of first full moon following the vernal equinox. This event is important to the timing of important religious observances in both the Jewish and Christian religions.
Passover, an important Jewish festival, begins at sundown on Wednesday. Celebration of this holiday traditionally begins after sundown of the evening of the full moon (or the 14th day) of Nisan, the seventh month of the Jewish ecclesiastical year, which is based upon a lunar calendar. Consequently, Passover falls following the time of the vernal equinox.
The Christian festival of Easter will be celebrated this coming Sunday. Since Easter has its origin in Passover, it is celebrated on the first Sunday after the first Pascal Full Moon following the spring equinox. The Pascal Moon is defined as the first moon whose 14th day comes on or after 21 March; it is used for computational purposes and the Pascal Full Moon may not always coincide with the actual full moon. Easter is a movable feast, occurring as early as 22 March and as late as 25 April. The concerns for fixing a correct date of Easter lead to astronomical studies and various calendrical reforms, including adaptation of the current Gregorian calendar.