The third full moon of 2021 will appear this weekend, allowing viewers of the skies to see the largest and brightest moon of the year to date.
The Worm Moon in the northern hemisphere is traditionally called the full moon of March, because it comes in late winter when the earth begins to melt.
Nasa chief executive Gordon Johnston also noted that this month ‘s moon could be considered a “supermoon” by some definitions due to its proximity to Earth.
Originally created by astronaut Richard Nolle in 1979, a supermoon is usually considered a new or full moon that is within 90 percent of the perigee – the closest way to Earth.
“Supermarkets have become very popular over the last few decades. As you explain this definition, in a typical year there can be two or four total supermoons in a row and two to four new supermoons in a row, ”Mr Johnston wrote in a blog post.
“Different publications use slightly different thresholds for determining when a full Moon is close enough to Earth to qualify for a supermoon. For 2021, some publications consider the four full Moons from March to June, some three full Moons from April to June, and some only the two full moons in April and May as supermoons. ”
Read more:
The full moon arrives on Sunday at 7.48pm BST – the clocks go 1 hour on Sunday and the UK changes from GMT to BST – however it will appear full in the skies from Saturday morning to Monday night .
Looking at recommendations from astronauts and designers to get the best view is to avoid areas with high levels of light pollution and to stay away from artificial light sources such as smartphone screens.
The moon rises at 4.40pm on Saturday and at 7.06pm on Sunday.
Weather forecasts are mixed across the UK this weekend, with the Met Office warning of clouds and heavy rain in the north west of England and Scotland.