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Chronicle Live
Chronicle Live
National
Daniel Hall

Worm Moon 2022: What is a Worm Moon and how can I see it?

Stargazers will be able to catch a glimpse of a 'worm moon' this Thursday.

The third full moon of the year, it follows on from January's Wolf Moon and February's Snow Moon.

The Worm Moon is the last full moon of winter and always takes place in March. Last year's was a super worm moon, but since the moon isn't within its 10%of its closest distance to the earth, this year's is just your bog-standard full Worm Moon.

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Why is it called a Worm Moon?

Dan Pye, Director of Astronomy and Space Communication at Kielder Observatory, said: "As with all moons, it's named after something that happens in that particular month when that moon should occur.

"A lot of terminology we use is from Native American and the worm moon is when the emergence of worms is."

The Royal Observatory Museum in Greenwich also states: "Native Americans called this last full moon of winter the Worm Moon after the worm trails that would appear in the newly thawed ground. Other names include chaste moon, death moon, crust moon and sap moon, after the tapping of the maple trees."

Is there a Worm Moon every year?

Yes, the Worm Moon is the last full moon of winter and happens every March.

When is the Worm Moon?

The best time to see the Worm Moon is on the evening of St. Patrick's Day, Thursday March 17 and the early morning of Friday March 18.

According to Science Focus, the easiest time to see the Worm Moon will be after the sun has set. The Worm Moon will be at its brightest at 6:08pm on Thursday, but you should be able to see it at any time between 5:17pm on March 17 and 6:18am on March 18 (Friday).

Should you want to go outside and gaze at the Worm Moon, the weather is looking good. The Met Office says visibility will be good and it should stay dry - though it will feel quite chilly!

Dan continued: "The good thing is we don’t need to go anywhere to see the moon better than you can from your back garden because it’s just so bright. We don’t need any special conditions we just need for it to be clear really."

When is the next supermoon?

It's a while before the next supermoon - that's due in June. That one will be a Strawberry Supermoon.

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