Are you ready for the super worm moon? That’s the strange-sounding nickname some skywatchers are using to describe the full moon that’s coming on March 9, 2020.
Every year, the March full moon is commonly called the “worm moon” — a reference to the earthworms that start appearing in early spring. But because of its close orbit to the Earth, this moon will also fit the billing of a supermoon.
Most astronomy experts agree the March full moon will be the first of two consecutive supermoons in 2020, although some skywatchers and bloggers stretched the definition and pegged the February full moon as a supermoon. They also added the May full moon into the supermoon mix.
How close does the moon’s orbit have to be to gain the supermoon label? The precise distance varies in the astronomy world, which is why skywatchers disagree over the number of supermoons in 2020.
This was a supermoon seen in the sky over Essex County in New Jersey in January 2019 during a lunar eclipse.
Astronomy enthusiasts consider a supermoon to be a full moon that tracks closer to the earth than an average full moon. As a result, it can appear to be slightly larger and up to 30% brighter than usual, especially when it starts to rise over the horizon or if atmospheric conditions are ideal.
Many astronomy buffs, including those at Sky & Telescope magazine, believe a supermoon is a full moon that tracks less than 223,000 miles from the Earth at the closest point of its orbit, known as the perigee. TimeAndDate.com, which writes a lot about big sky events, uses 223,694 miles (which is 360,000 kilometers) as its benchmark for supermoons.
However, some have a looser definition, saying any full moon that is less than 226,000 miles to our planet can be classified as a supermoon.
Some experts, including those at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago, say the diameter of a supermoon is actually just 7% bigger than an average full moon and 14% bigger than a “micromoon” — one whose orbit is farthest from the Earth.
In reality, most casual skywatchers won’t really notice the size difference.
How close will the March 2020 supermoon be?
Monday’s moon will be 222,081 miles away from the Earth when it turns full, according to EarthSky.org. So, whether you follow the stricter definition or the looser definition, it fits the billing of a supermoon.
By the way, the moon will officially be at its fullest phase at 1:47 p.m. on Monday, March 9. That means it will look 98% full on Sunday night, 100% full on Monday night and 100% full on Tuesday night.
Common nicknames for the March full moon
The full March moon is most commonly called the “worm moon,” because of the earthworms that tend to emerge from the ground when winter turns to spring, timeanddate.com notes.
Among the other nicknames for the March full moon are the crow moon, crust moon, chaste moon, sap moon and sugar moon, timeanddate.com says. “The Old English/Anglo-Saxon name is Lenten Moon.”
The full moon in March is commonly known as the worm moon because of the earthworms that tend to emerge from the ground when winter gives way to spring.Bob Gathany | AL.com file photo
Next full moon of 2020
If you’re not able to catch a glimpse of the March full moon, you can look for next month’s full “pink moon” — which some skywatchers will be calling the “super pink moon,” because it will be another supermoon. That moon will be officially full on the night of April 7.
Len Melisurgo may be reached at LMelisurgo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @LensReality or like him on Facebook. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
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