On March 14, there will be another full moon. In March, it is traditionally called the Worm Full Moon. We should not expect an invertebrate invasion. But it will still be interesting, because during this astronomical phenomenon, a micromoon and a lunar eclipse will be observed.
Worm Full Moon
The March full moon is commonly called the Worm Full Moon. This is how it was christened in the 1930s in the American magazine Old Farmer’s Almanac. Since then, this name has gradually spread, first in the United States and then abroad.
It is not known for certain whether anyone in America had ever called the first full moon of spring that way before. At least the European colonists certainly could not have brought this name with them, because in March it was still too cold in the Old World.
However, even among the autochthonous population of the United States, it is not possible to find a people who use this name. And it is difficult to say what kind of worms are meant: perhaps those that live in the ground, or perhaps insect larvae.
By the way, different peoples of North America use other names for this cowpea, usually associated with birds, such as geese, eagles, and crows. This makes more sense than worms, given that birds are returning from wintering at this time.
In China, this full moon is called the Sleeping Full Moon, and in the Southern Hemisphere, it is called the Harvest Moon. The latter shouldn’t be too surprising, because all the seasons there are the opposite of what we are used to in our latitudes.
Micromoon and lunar eclipse
However, this year’s March full moon will be interesting for completely different reasons. At this time, a micromoon and an eclipse will be observed. The first phenomenon is because the orbit of our natural satellite differs significantly from the circular one, so its distance from the Earth is constantly changing.
At the same time, the time during which the Moon makes one revolution and the period of its phase change are slightly different. That’s why the full moon periodically coincides with either the perigee, when our satellite is closest to us, or the apogee, when the distance to it is maximum. The last combination will occur in March 2025. Visually, this will be manifested in the fact that the apparent diameter of the lunar disk will be 5.4% smaller than average.
A total lunar eclipse is characterized by a strong drop in the brightness of our natural satellite, and it often turns a dark red color. In a partial eclipse, the decrease in brightness and color change does not affect the entire lunar disk, but only a part of it.
The reason for a lunar eclipse is quite simple: our planet is between the Sun and the Moon, and its shadow falls on the latter. If the plane of its orbit coincided with the plane in which the Earth moves around the luminary, this phenomenon would be observed during every full moon. However, in reality, the Moon’s orbit is inclined to the ecliptic. Therefore, lunar and solar eclipses occur only when all three bodies are lined up in a single line. And in March 2025, it will be just such a moment.
When to look at the sky?
The astronomical full moon on March 14 will occur at 6:55 a.m. GMT (1:55 p.m. EST), when our natural satellite will be in the constellation Virgo next to Spica. At that moment, the Sun will be above the horizon in Ukraine, and the Moon will be below it. Before it sets in Kyiv, you can see the beginning of the penumbral phase of the eclipse, but it is very difficult to see it with the naked eye. So we will just have to admire the small Moon on the night of the 13th to the 14th.
London will have slightly better conditions. Here, the time coincides with global time. At the beginning of the total eclipse, the Moon will be above the horizon, and the Sun will be rising on the other side. About 40 minutes before that, a visible eclipse will begin, but it will take place in a bright sky.
The best conditions for observing the lunar eclipse will be in the United States and Canada. However, you will have to wait until midnight to see it. Formally, it will begin at 11:57 p.m. EST (4:57 a.m. GMT) on March 13, but then our satellite will only begin to enter the Earth’s penumbra. The drop in its brightness will be visible only with the help of special instruments. The “real” approach of the shadow will be observed starting from 1:09 a.m. EST (6:09 a.m. GMT).
The full shadow phase of the eclipse will begin at 2:26 a.m. GMT, and three minutes later, the maximum phase of the eclipse will begin. The full phase will end at 3:31 a.m. GMT, after which it will be possible to observe the shadow of our planet “sliding” off the lunar disk for another hour and a half.
The next total lunar eclipse will take place in less than six months. From the territory of Ukraine, it will be observed in the evening of September 7, and the conditions for its visibility will be much better: The Moon will be rising during the initial penumbral phase (the beginning of the partial eclipse will not be visible in western Ukraine). We hope that the weather conditions on this day will be favorable enough to allow us to admire this celestial phenomenon.
