Skygazers will be staying up late again this week, as March is set to experience a “Blood Worm Moon” thanks to its full moon turning red during a total lunar eclipse.
According to NASA, March’s full moon, which is known as the Worm Moon, will pass into the shadow of the Earth on the night of March 13 or in the early hours of March 14, depending on the time zone you are in.
After passing into the Earth’s shadow, the moon, which will also be full at the time, will appear to turn red as it experiences a total lunar eclipse, visible from the Western Hemisphere.
For those looking to plan out their viewing of the blood moon, the Old Farmer’s Almanac details specific moonrise times for ZIP codes across the United States. Local weather forecasts will also play a factor in the viewing.
Every lunar eclipse is visible from half of Earth, occurring when the sun, Earth, and moon all align, with the moon sitting in the Earth’s shadow.
NASA notes that because the moon will appear red-orange while inside Earth’s shadow, they have gained the moniker of blood moon. The reddish color is a result of sunlight filtering through a “thick slice of Earth’s atmosphere” before it hits the moon’s surface, NASA says. The moon will appear more or less red depending on the dust or clouds in Earth’s atmosphere.
“It’s as if all the world’s sunrises and sunsets are projected onto the Moon,” NASA explains in a blog post.
As for why March’s moon is the Worm Moon, the Old Farmer’s Almanac says the nickname comes from the earthworms typically found as spring nears.
There are other names for March’s full moon, most of which are related to the transition from winter to spring, as the first day of the new season is on March 20. The other nicknames include the Eagle Moon, Goose Moon, Crow Comes Back Moon, Sugar Moon, Wind Strong Moon, and Sore Eyes Moon.