Oregon Astronomer: Why Easter Moves Around, April's Meteor Showers

Published 04/06/25 at 5:45 p.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Depoe Bay, Oregon) – There's quite a bit going on above us in Oregon and Washington in April, including a good dose of meteor showers. Above: Manzanita and the Neahkahnie Overlooks - Oregon Coast Beach Connection.

And if you're wondering when on Earth Easter is this year, you're not alone. In fact, it's got something to do with Earth's passage through the solar system.

Jim Todd, astronomy expert with Portland's OMSI, explained the intricacies of the holiday.

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“This question comes up every year, with a bit of puzzlement,” Todd said. “But for this year, in particular, many people have commented on Easter. Do you know why the holiday date changes each year? Other major holidays throughout the year have set days: July 4th; Labor Day; Christmas, etc. It’s often hard to comprehend Easter’s association with the Vernal Equinox, the full moon, and Sunday.”

Easter’s date changes each year, bouncing across the calendar. But why does this happen? The answer traces back to 325 A.D., when the Council of Nicaea convened in ancient Nicaea (modern-day Iznik, Turkey) under the direction of Emperor Constantine I. Constantine aimed to bring order to the burgeoning Christian Church, which was plagued by internal disputes and controversy.

The stars and a comet as seen from south Oregon coast's Bandon. - Photo Manuela Durson - Manuela Durson Fine Arts

One of the council's tasks was to establish a formula for determining the annual date of Easter, Todd said. At the time, Easter coincided with the Jewish holiday of Passover, creating inconsistency. Pope Saint Soter’s formula, embraced by believers in Alexandria and Rome, became the standard. It dictated that Easter would be celebrated on the first Sunday following the first full moon after the vernal equinox. This approach avoided reliance on any specific calendar and ensured separation between Jewish and Christian observances.

How did the moon get involved in all this?

“The number of lunar cycles in a year is uneven,” Todd said. “This means that the time of the Passover celebration is a moveable feast during March and April. The council of Nicaea involved the full moon to provide the pilgrims, who traveled to Jerusalem, with a bright night sky to assure their safety.”

In 2025, Easter is the Sunday (April 20) following the full moon (April 12) after the vernal equinox (March 20).

“Easter 2026 will be earlier - April 5th,” Todd said.

Right about Easter, the skies above Oregon, Washington and their coastlines will get some interesting action.

The Lyrid meteor showers begin around April 12 and go through April 25, but the peak is the 21st and 22nd. It's a narrow stretch, say astronomers. It's known for fast shooting stars but can produce long, persistent trails. That's more than half the fun of these intersolar flashes of light.

Yachats: there's a pullout at the tip of the headland in the distance

What are the best meteor-watching spots on the Oregon coast or Washington coast? Weather and misty conditions are, of course, a big factor, but the entire coastline is known for being a great dark sky area. Any beach area should suffice, but high-elevation viewpoints are usually even better. The lookouts above Bandon's beaches, Anderson's Viewpoint near Oceanside, Cape Sebastian near Gold Beach, or the little gravel pullout near Cape Perpetua (Yachats) are just...well..stellar. Cape Foulweather near Depoe Bay would be another but its parking area is closed right now. Yet perhaps the granddaddy of them all is the Neahkahnie Overlooks above Manzanita.

Just before all this, the full moon on April 12 and 13 is the smallest and faintest full moon of the year – otherwise known as a micromoon. It's that way because it's at its most distant point from Earth.

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Andre' GW Hagestedt is editor, owner and primary photographer / videographer of Oregon Coast Beach Connection, an online publication that sees over 1 million pageviews per month. He is also author of several books about the coast.

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