On Friday, March 18, the full moon of March will hit its apogee, marking the beginning of springtime in the Northern Hemisphere by barely two days.
Because of this, it’s unsurprising that most of the classic names linked with the March moon have something to do with springtime or the famed March thunderstorms. The Worm Moon is the most well-known of them, although Almanac.com gives a slew of other potential names for the moon in the United States, including the Storm Moon and the Hunger Moon.
However, if you are unable to go out to see the moon at its fullest at 3:18 a.m. EDT (0718 GMT), it will still seem nearly full from around Wednesday night through Saturday morning, according to NASA’s official guide. With the arrival of the spring equinox on Sunday (March 20), this is the final full moon of the winter season for this year.
Full moons are simple to see since they are so bright. When looking at the moon using binoculars or a telescope, you may be able to see some of the craters on the moon’s surface, however, such things are easier to see when a portion of the moon is under the shadow.
Worm Moon: Here’s Why March Full Moon Is Called So
The Worm Moon is pretty much what it sounds like: It’s named after earthworms that come out of hibernation during this time of year. The moon was known as “the Worm Moon” too early for Native American tribes because earthworms begin to emerge from the soil around this time of year, according to the Farmer’s Almanac. The emergence of earthworms signaled that spring was approaching and plant life would soon return.
Earthworms are not the only sign of spring during this time. The full moon is also known as Sap Moon because it’s when maple sap begins running, signaling the end of winter and the onset of spring.
Tiesha loves to share her passion for everything that’s beautiful in this world. Apart from writing on her beauty blog and running her own beauty channel on Youtube, she also enjoys traveling and photography. Tiesha covers various stories on the website.