This month's full moon is due to arrive this week, along with the astronomical start of the spring season.
The last full moon of winter is technically due to peak at 3:18 a.m. ET on Friday, March 18 year—however, it will appear full from Wednesday evening through to Saturday morning, according to NASA skywatching blogger Gordon Johnston.
The full moon of March is sometimes referred to as the Worm Moon according to The Old Farmer's Almanac which describes monthly full moon names from Native American, Colonial American, and European sources.
Other names for the March moon exist as well, such as Sugar Moon, an Ojibwe term, and Wind Strong Moon, a Pueblo term.
The history of the Worm Moon name has caused some confusion in the past. For years, researchers thought that the name referred to earthworms appearing as soil temperature increased at this time of year.
Later research suggested the name actually referred to beetle larvae emerging from the thawing bark of trees and other places, based on an account by U.S. Captain Jonathan Carver who visited the Naudowessie (Dakota) and other Native American tribes in the 1760s.
As mentioned, this week's full moon comes at around the same time as the astronomical start of the spring season in the Northern Hemisphere, which begins on March 20.
Astronomical spring is marked by the spring equinox, also called the vernal equinox. An equinox is essentially a time of year when day and night are about the same length in both hemispheres.
After the spring equinox, days will be longer than nights until the height of summer—the summer solstice—before the process reverses once again. There are two equinoxes every year, with one occurring in Autumn as well.
This month's full moon also corresponds with the Holi festival, a Hindu celebration and one of the most revered festivals in India.
Sometimes called the festival of love, it is a time in which people forget resentments to one another. The festival is known for its vibrancy as participants will throw colored liquids or powder over one another.
There will be other opportunities for astronomical observations later this month. In the mornings of late March, around March 28, the planets Venus, Saturn, and Mars will appear close together on the east-southeastern horizon.
The rest of March will be quiet in terms of meteor showers. The next one, the Lyrid meteor shower, is due to peak around April 21 to April 22.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
