Full Worm Moon is a "Super" Moon

This month's Full Moon will be the first "Super" Moon in 18 years. The March Full Worm Moon rises Saturday at 2:10 p.m. EDT, and we should be able to view its rare size and beauty beautifully tomorrow evening. It's called a "Super" Moon because it will arrive at its closest point to the Earth this year at 3 o'clock tomorrow afternoon. The Moon will be just 221,565 miles away from the Earth.

When the perigee Moon lies close to the horizon, it can appear absolutely enormous. That is when the famous “Moon illusion” combines with reality to produce a truly stunning view. For reasons not fully understood by astronomers or psychologists, a low-hanging Moon looks incredibly large when hovering near trees, buildings and other foreground objects. The fact that the Moon will be much closer than usual this weekend will only serve to amplify this strange effect.

That means that at its peak, tomorrow's "Super" Moon may appear 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter than most other Full Moons or when the Moon is at its farthest distance from Earth. Yet to the casual observer, it may be hard to tell the difference. Although a Full Moon theoretically lasts just a moment, that moment is imperceptible to ordinary observation.

Why is this month's Full Moon called the Worm Moon? Well, as the temperature begins to warm and the ground begins to thaw, earthworm casts appear, signaling the return of the robins. The more northern tribes knew this Moon as the Full Crow Moon, when the cawing of crows signaled the end of winter, or the Full Crust Moon, because the snow cover becomes crusted from thawing by day and freezing at night. The Full Sap Moon, marking the time of tapping maple trees, is another variation.

This time of the year, the sunlight is getting stronger, temperatures are slowly rising, and the frozen ground begins to thaw. You can tell the worms have begun to come awake when you find the little curly mounds of dirt on the ground. These mounds, or castings are part of nature's way of preparing the Earth for new growth. Then the flowers and herbs and trees and green grass suddenly burst out and let us know Spring is here.

Full Moon names date back to Native Americans, in what is now the Northern and Eastern United States. The tribes kept track of the seasons by giving distinctive names to each recurring Full Moon. Their names were applied to the entire month in which each occurred. There was some variation in the Moon names, but in general, the same ones were current throughout the Algonquin tribes from New England to Lake Superior.

By the way, did you know that if the Full Moon happened just two days later, Easter would be a week from Sunday? That's because Easter falls on the first Sunday after the first Full Moon following the Vernal Equinox. The Vernal Equinox is this Sunday evening, March 20, at 7:21 EDT. Enjoy the Full Worm Moon and the "Super" Moon. Have a great weekend.

Paul

Spring Officially Arrives This Sunday

Tomorrow is the last full day of Winter. Spring officially arrives this Sunday at 7:21 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. That's the time when the direct rays of the Sun pass over the Equator, technically creating "equal day and equal night" over the face of the Earth. Actually, yesterday, March 17, we experienced exactly 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness. The days will only get longer for the next three months. I don't know about you, but after this Winter, I'm counting the minutes until the Vernal Equinox.

I've always observed the change of seasons with more reverence and awe than New Year's Eve. After all, the beginning of a new year is an arbitrary date which can actually be recognized just about any time during the year. However, an equinox or a solstice is a much more meaningful "event" and can be explained astronomically. The time is exact and changes every year although, for the most part, the date doesn't vary much.

The change of seasons is due to the 23.4 degree tilt of the Earth's axis. Because of the tilt, we receive the Sun's rays most directly in the Summer. In the Winter, when we are tilted away from the Sun, the rays pass through the atmosphere at a greater slant, bringing lower temperatures. If the Earth rotated on an axis perpendicular to the plane of the Earth's orbit around the Sun, there would be no variation in day lengths or temperatures throughout the year, and we would not have seasons.

Now that Winter is just about in our rear-view mirror, how did we fare over the last three months as far as snow is concerned? Officially, just about five feet of snow (59.4") fell at Sikorsky Memorial Airport in Stratford. That's more than three feet above the normal (22.9") through this date and well above last year's total of 38.1" of snow. Most of the snow fell from late December through January. Snowfall was well below the record of 78 inches, which was set in the Winter of 1995-96.

Our Springlike weather will continue for at least one more day. Today will feature a mix of sun and clouds with high temperatures reaching the upper 60s inland and close to 60 degrees along the immediate shoreline. It will be quite windy, though. The record high temperature for this date is 68 degrees, established in 1999. A cold front will pass late tonight and early tomorrow with a threat of a brief shower or sprinkle. Tomorrow will become mostly sunny and much cooler with highs close to 50.

Happy Spring!

Paul