Skywatchers should not miss this week's full moon in March 2022. The Worm Moon is one of its numerous names, and it will be the last full moon of the winter season.
According to NASA, the next full moon will occur around 3:18 a.m. EDT on Friday, and it will be visible for nearly three days. Because the moon is continually traveling around the Earth, it seems full for a few days even if it is only full for a few seconds.
This week, it will be full from Wednesday evening to Saturday morning, giving skywatchers plenty of chances to see the last winter full moon, which occurs just two days before spring arrives in the northern hemisphere.
Skywatchers may be able to glimpse planets Venus, Saturn, and Mars when the morning twilight begins on the morning of the full moon. According to NASA, Sirius and Pollux's brilliant stars may also be visible that evening.
Inverse said Full Moons stay visible above the local horizon all night, and with March's short days, stargazers have plenty of opportunities to take in the scenery.
The Moon will seem almost full the day before and after its actual Full Moon phase, so stargazers could enjoy a couple evenings of moongazing if you're lucky.
The Strawberry Moon, on June 14, 2022, will be the first supermoon of the year.
Worm Moon March 2022: What You Need to Know
Reports mention that March full moon, like all previous full moons, is known by various names based on Native American, Colonial American, and European traditions. Worm Moon, for example, is said to relate to the earthworms that emerge when the soils thaw in preparation for spring. According to NASA, only the southern tribes in the United States named this full moon by this name.
Another probable reason for Worm Moon comes from 18th-century explorer Captain Jonathan Carver. According to The Old Farmer's Almanac, the term relates to the "worm" or beetle larvae that emerge from the thawing tree barks at this time of year.
According to NASA, the Crust Moon, Crust Moon, and Sap Moon are some of the other names for this full moon, which is what the more northern tribes named it. The Crow Moon commemorates the cawing of crows that signaled the end of winter. In contrast, the Crust Moon marks the crusting of snow due to freezing at night and melting in the morning. On the other hand, Sap Moon is the time of year when maple trees are tapped.
This full moon is known by several names and celebrations in different civilizations worldwide. Whatever name this full moon is given, catching sight of it this week might be a suitable way to bid winter farewell and usher in the warmth of spring.
March's Full Moon: Not A Supermoon
Unfortunately, BBC's Science Focus said this year's Worm Moon is not a supermoon.
When the moon, which circles the Earth in an elliptical orbit, is at perigee, its closest point to Earth along its orbit, it is called a supermoon.
A supermoon occurs when the moon reaches perigee at the same time as a full Moon. When the full moon is at the apogee, the farthest point away from Earth in its orbit, we get a micro moon because the moon seems smaller.
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