How to see March’s 'extra special' Worm Moon this week
On Friday, 14 March, the year’s third full moon, the ‘Worm Moon’, will rise on the night sky. Its arrival officially confirms what we’ve been tentatively whispering to each other for the last two weeks: spring is here.
Granted, ‘Worm Moon’ doesn’t immediately conjure images of celestial grace, but to dismiss the upcoming full moon based on its somewhat peculiar name would be a mistake – as an extra-special occurrence is on the cards for spectators.
This weekend, Earth’s natural satellite won’t just be visible in its full glory, but will also turn into a ‘Blood Moon’ later in the night – a phenomenon that occurs only a couple of times a year.
Here’s everything we know about the upcoming Worm Moon, including how to watch it and the meaning behind its name.
How to see March’s ‘Worm Moon’
The moon is best observed, of course, after nightfall. On Friday, 14 March, the Worm Moon will begin rising in the sky from 5.30pm, according to Jessica Lee, an astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich.
Thanks to its proximity to Earth, the moon is easy to spot among other celestial bodies. For the best view, budding astronomers should look east as the Worm Moon will be located in the constellation of Virgo.
What’s special about the ‘Worm Moon’?
This, however, won’t be your regular full moon, and those willing get up early (or stay up late) will be rewarded with an extra special sight.
In the early morning of Saturday, 15 March, the Earth will pass between the moon and the sun, resulting in a partial lunar eclipse. “The moon is being lit up by the sun, but then it passes into the shadow of the Earth, which blocks lights from the sun getting to the moon,” Lee tells Country Living. “It doesn’t go completely dark or black because some light from the sun refracts through the Earth’s atmosphere.”
The refracted light bathes the moon in a reddish hue, hence the name ‘Blood Moon’. “It’s a bit like during a sunset. Light from the sun is all colours of the rainbow and we see it as white light, but when it’s at certain angles, it splits into its different colours,” Lee explains.
For the best experience, Lee recommends turning your gaze skywards from around 5am on Saturday morning, when the lunar eclipse is starting to become visible. By the time the moon sets on the Western horizon at 6.20am, two thirds of the moon will appear red.
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Why is it called the ‘Worm Moon’?
Each year typically has 12 full moons (sometimes more), and each one has its own nickname. January gave us the ‘Wolf Moon’, and February saw the ‘Snow Moon’ rise high above the night sky.
‘Worm Moon’ may seem unbefitting for such a magical nighttime sight, but each moniker has a special meaning. “It’s the same moon each time, but different cultures give it different names,” says Lee, “the Worm Moon is a Native American name for this particular full moon.”
Native American tribes used the lunar cycles to keep track of time and the seasons, and each nickname is linked to a regular occurrence in nature observed by the tribes at a particular time of year. These names, Lee explains, were adopted by American settlers and later entered popular culture.
What does ‘Worm Moon’ mean?
The Worm Moon heralds the arrival of spring. On its website, the Royal Museums Greenwich writes that Native Americans named this “last full moon of winter” for the trails that worms would leave in the warming ground.
The BBC Sky at Night Magazine adds that “the emergence of earthworms in warmer weather in turn provides food for newborn birds and other animals awaking from hibernation.” In other words, spring has sprung.
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