When is The Full Moon in March? The Worm Full Moon 2024
Last Updated: November 9, 2023
The upcoming full Moon in March will grace our night sky on Monday 25, 2024 at 3:00 AM EDT (8:00 AM UTC). During this particular phase of its lunar cycle, the Moon will have aged 14.64 days, offering a near perfect illumination of 99.84%.
With a tilt angle of 170.543°, our natural satellite will be located approximately 405,776.68 km away from Earth. This equates to about 252,137.93 miles, or roughly 0.00271 Astronomical Units (AU). This means the Moon will only be about 12.92% away from its average perigee distance (closest distance from Earth).
In terms of light travel time, this distance corresponds to approximately 0.0225 light minutes. In the realm of astrology, the Moon will align with the sign of Libra on this day.
Countdown to the March Full Moon
March Full Moon Stargazing Information
The Moon’s magnitude, a measure of its brightness, will be -12.53. In astronomical terms, a lower value signifies a brighter object, which means the Moon will be exceptionally bright during this event.
The terms Ra/Dec refer to the Moon’s position in the sky, known as Right Ascension (Ra) and Declination (Dec). These coordinates will be 10h 47m 21s and +10°36’42.7″, respectively, corresponding to the celestial longitude and latitude.
Similarly, the terms Az/Alt denote the Moon’s azimuth and altitude, which represent the Moon’s direction and height from the horizon, respectively. These will be 092°25’37” for the azimuth and +15°31’02” for the altitude.
The Moon will have an apparent diameter of 29 arcminutes and 27 arcseconds, so even though it will be quite enjoyable to the naked eye, observing it with a basic set of binoculars or a small telescope, will allow for a detailed exploration of its surface features if using a lunar filter. It might be too bright otherwise.
Additional information:
- Moonlight intensity: High
- Moonlight shadows: Strong
- Culmination time: location dependent
- Moonrise time: location dependant
- Moonset time: location dependent
- Supermoon? No
- Micromoon? No
- Blue moon? No
- Lunar Eclipse: No
- Conjunctions? None
- Close approach: None
Nearby night sky objects:
On that night, the full moon will be located within the Virgo constellation, right underneath what would constitute the Maiden’s left arm. This part of the sky is relatively quiet that night, no planets nor deep sky objects will be nearby. The only notable celestial object near the Moon will be variable star ‘Spica’ (mag 0.89) about 10 degree south and red giant Arcturus, approximately 30 degrees to the east.
Why is the Full Moon in March called the Worm Moon?
With the passing of the typically harshest winter month, we typically start to see the signs of spring. In particular, the ground begins softening, and earthworms as well as their trails in the ground return. This change invites robins and other birds to return due to the increase in food availability.
Some tribes referred to the March Full Moon as the Crow Moon as the cawing of crows signals the end of winter. Others called it the (Snow) Crust Moon in reference to the crust that forms when it thaws during the day, refreezes during the evening, thaws the next day, etc. Others used it to mark the beginning of tapping maple trees for sap by calling it the Sap/ Sugar Moon.
The Anglo-Saxon name for this full moon was the Lenten Moon for the Germanic word for spring. Celtic names included the Wind Moon and Plough Moon. Old English names include the Chaste Moon and Death Moon for the purity of the spring season. In China, it is known as the Sleepy Moon.
Related reading: The Meaning Behind the 12 Full Moon Names
Observing this Worm Full Moon with astronomical equipment
The Moon offers a variety of interesting features that you can observe, even with modest equipment. The Moon is without a doubt the easiest celestial object to observe with a backyard telescope or a pair of astronomical binoculars.
The Moon can shine a rather bright light when it is full so the use of a special lunar filter can help improve your view of the Moon. This is an additional component that reduces the amount of light coming into the telescope, making it easier to see the details without being blinded.
It essentially works much like ‘sunglasses’ for your telescope. It reduces glare and improves contrast, allowing you to see more detail. The filter threads into the bottom of an eyepiece, so it’s easy to add or remove as needed.
A smaller aperture telescope (60mm to 80mm) can provide good views of the Moon. You’ll be able to see a decent amount of detail, including larger craters and lunar maria.
Medium aperture telescopes (around 100mm to 150mm) will give you a much better view, revealing many more features and allowing you to see smaller craters and other details.
With large aperture telescopes (200mm and above), that’s where the magic happens! You’ll see more detailed views of the edges of lunar maria, where they meet the highlands.You’ll be able to discern more subtle color differences in the lunar surface as well as mountain ranges casting subtle shadows on the lunar surface. You might be able to see hints of the lunar domes, which are gentle, rounded mounds thought to be the remnants of ancient lunar volcanoes.
Be sure to choose the correct eyepiece as it will greatly influence your field of view at the eyepiece. Try my field of view calculator to determine the best eyepiece for your lunar observations.
Planning your lunar observation with Stellarium
Stellarium is a free open-source planetarium for your computer that shows a realistic sky in 3D, just like what you see with the naked eye, binoculars, or a telescope. It’s one of my favourite stargazing applications. I use it on a weekly basis and it’s super easy to use.
Here is a step-by-step guide to using it for timing your observation of the upcoming Worm full Moon:
- Set Your Location: Open https://stellarium-web.org/ into your internet browser. In order to find accurate rise and set times for the Moon, you need to set your geographic location. Click on the “Location Window” button on the left toolbar. In the window that pops up, search for your city in the “Search” field, then click on your city’s name in the list. This sets your location.
- Set the right time: Stellarium can show you the sky at any time, past, present, or future. To get the full Moon time, which in March will be the 25th, you need to click on the “Date/time window” button on the bottom right of the screen. You can also manually adjust the time by hours and minutes and see the sky move before your eyes.
- Locate the Moon: Now, you need to find the Moon in the sky. You can do this by using the search function. Click on the “Search Window” button on the centre top of screen. Type “Moon” into the search field and press enter. The view should now center on the Moon.
- Check Moonrise and Moonset Times: Once the Moon is centered, an information box should pop up on the upper left corner of the screen. This box will provide various details, including the moonrise and moonset times for the chosen day.
Dates & Times for the other Moon phases in March
Besides the full moon, there are seven other major phases in the lunar cycle: the new moon, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, waning gibbous, last quarter, and waning crescent. Each of these phases presents a unique view of the moon and contributes to the lunar cycle that we observe from Earth.
- Moon at Last Quarter: Sunday, 03 March 2024 at 07:24 PST (15:24 UTC)
- New Moon: Sunday, 10 March 2024 at 01:01 PST (09:01 UTC)
- First Quarter: Saturday, 16 March 2024 at 21:11 PDT (04:11 UTC)
The next Worm full Moon will take place on Thursday, March 13, 2025, at 23:54 PDT (06:54 UTC).
Lunar Luminosity: the full Moon’s light influence on the world
The full Moon has a few notable influences on Earth:
- Tides: The gravitational pull of the Moon causes the Earth’s oceans to bulge out in the direction of the Moon.
- Light: A full Moon provides significant natural light at night, which can affect nocturnal animals’ behavior and plant life.
- Floral behaviours: Some species of plants, such as the Ephedra foeminea (also known as werewolf plant) releases its pollen in sync with the full Moon.
- Human behavior: There have been many theories on how the full Moon may affect humans differently, whether it be our sleep pattern, our cardiovascular system, menstruation cycles, and our mood and mental health. However, despite much scientific research that has been done in the last ten years, scientists have not been able to prove the effects of the full Moon on human psychology or behavior.
Full Moon celebrations around the world
The full Moon has been a significant cultural symbol and theme throughout human history, appearing in myths, legends, superstitions, and rituals across the globe. In Thailand, the full Moon is celebrated every month during the infamous full Moon party.
In Sri Lanka, each full Moon day is a public holiday, known as Poya. Each Poya has its own name and is associated with Buddhist events. These days, people often go to the temple for religious observances.
In Wiccan traditions, an Esbat is a ritual observance of the full Moon. It’s a time for meditation, divination, and spellwork that align with the peak of the Moon’s energy.
In China, the Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival, is celebrated during the full Moon of the 8th lunar month (usually September). Families gather to admire the Moon, eat mooncakes, and in some regions, light lanterns.
If you know of any more celebrations that should be added to this list, let me know in the comment.
How dull would our night sky be without our natural satellite? Why not use this full moon as an opportunity to plan a lovely stargazing date with someone special in your life?
Previous Full Moons This Year
Future Full Moons This Year
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This moon-related story is part of our collection of stargazing articles. If this piece sparked your interest, you’re sure to enjoy the fascinating insights offered in our subsequent articles.
