Worm Moon: What is it and how to witness the first lunar eclipse of 2024

This full moon also coincides with a lunar eclipse as the moon will be almost perfectly aligned with the Sun and Earth. (File photo)

The full moon of March is also called the worm moon by the Farmers’ Almanac due to its proximity to the spring equinox. The phenomenon is also called so by Native American tribes in reference to the beetle larvae and other creatures that emerge from hibernation in the spring.

This full moon also coincides with a lunar eclipse as the moon will be almost perfectly aligned with the sun and Earth, causing the outer edge of Earth’s shadow to be cast onto the orb.

Unlike regular full moons, the worm moon will appear to be slightly darker than usual, Dr. Shannon Schmoll, director of the Abrams Planetarium at Michigan State University told CNN.

“It’ll be almost a gradient of darkening happening from one side of the moon to the other. It’s not going to be a super dramatic change in what we see in the moon,” she said. “But if you’re sitting there watching it, you might notice some slight variations in brightness.”

The change will be visible to everyone across the world since the moon will appear to be full for a couple of days.

While this eclipse will not as dramatic as a total lunar eclipse, it can be viewed with the naked eye, Schmoll said. “You pretty much just need to be outside with a clear view of the moon when it’s happening,” she told CNN. “(Eclipses are) always a good excuse to go outside and try to look at the sky and appreciate where we are in the universe, and what we are able to observe from our planet.”