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'Worm Moon' to shine this weekend

The name of this month's full moon is a strange and slithery one! It’s called the Worm Moon, and it will reach its peak on Sunday at 2:48 pm EDT.

Although it will reach its fullest phase on Sunday, it will appear full the night before and after its peak.

Full moon names typically correspond to seasonal markers. For example, the Harvest Moon occurs at the end of the growing season in September or October. The cooler month of December is assigned the Cold Moon. Meanwhile, the Worm Moon is a reference to the earthworms that start appearing in the soil in early spring.

(Photo credit: ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT/AFP via Getty Images)

On Tuesday, the moon will reach perigee, the nearest point to Earth in its orbit. This means the moon will appear slightly larger than usual in the night sky and may be referred to as a "supermoon" (by some definitions), according to NASA.

Dates of the moon phases in March 2021. (Image credit: NASA/JPL)

When the full moon coincides with perigee it is sometimes called a "supermoon." However, the full moon will miss perigee by about 35 hours. "Supermoon" isn't an official technical term used by astronomers. Whether a full moon counts as "super" depends on how close to the full moon the user of the word thinks perigee should be. 

Full Moons in 2021

Date Name U.S. Eastern Time UTC
Jan 28 Wolf Moon 2:16 p.m. 19:16
Feb 27 Snow Moon 3:17 a.m. 8:17
Mar 28 Worm Moon 2:48 p.m. 18:48
Apr 26 Pink Moon 11:31 p.m. 3:31 (Apr. 27)
May 26 Flower Moon 7:14 a.m. 11:14
Jun 24 Strawberry Moon 2:40 p.m. 18:40
Jul 23 Buck Moon 10:37 a.m. 2:37 (Jul 24)
Aug 22 Sturgeon Moon 8:02 a.m. 12:02
Sep 20 Corn Moon 7:55 a.m. 23:55
Oct 20 Harvest Moon 10:57 a.m. 14:57
Nov 19 Beaver Moon 3:58 a.m. 8:58
Dec 18 Cold Moon 11:36 p.m. 4:36 (Dec 19)
This is when full moons will occur in 2021, according to NASA

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