TORONTO – The March Worm Moon forms on Sunday afternoon when the opposite moon appears from the sun at 2:48 pm ET, and by your definition, could even be seen as a supermoon.
With the height of the full moon in the middle of the afternoon for East Coasters, they will have a better chance of seeing the moon in the evening at 7:00 pm ET as it begins to rise. This is when it is at its lowest on the horizon and the largest one emerges.
And if cloud cover prevents you from setting eyes on the full moon on Sunday, you’ll have more chances to look at it as it will appear full for three days from March 27 to 29, according to a NASA press release .
Depending on who you ask, the Moon Worm is a supermoon. According to NASA, a supermoon is a moon that is within 90 percent of its closest orbit to Earth. Full moon in April and May will be even closer to Earth than the March moon, with the May moon closer than April by just .04 percent, NASA said in a press release. Different experts have different thresholds for what is considered close enough to Earth to be seen as a supermoon. Some experts and publications say there will be four supermoons by 2021, while others say there will only be two, NASA said.
NASA said the Moon Worm goes by a few different names according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac. The almanac began publishing Native American moon names in the 1930s, and the full moon in March is called Crow, Crust, Sap, Sugar, or Worm Moon.
The name depended on the location of tribes. Tribes in the northeastern states linked it to the return of the lazy-beds. Northern tribes tied it with the snow taking a crust as it melted in the warmth of the day and froze in the cool night. Sap and Sugar Moon come from the season of chopping maple trees for syrup. The southern tribes called it the Worm Moon because the melting earth would reveal the feet of a worm.
Stargazers are encouraged to listen for crows chewing, and to look out for crooked snow and earthworm legs as they try to catch a glimpse of the Worm Moon.