Full Worm Moon wiggles out of sky

William Atkins
Wednesday, 11 March 2009 19:15

Science - Space

The full Moon, first seen early on the morning of Wednesday, March 11, 2009, is called a Worm Moon because worms traditionally are waking up from their long winter’s nap, as the ground thaws in the Northern Hemisphere, and are beginning to crawl and wiggle around.


See an image of the “Full Worm Moon” at the SpaceWeather.com website, courtesy of photographer Keith Breazeal from Lake Tahoe, California, U.S.A.

Breazeal stated, "What a view it was as it rose against the tree line just after sunset. "I took the picture using my Canon 40D.” [SpaceWeather.com]

The SpaceWeather.com article “Worm Moon Rising” says, “According to folklore, this week's full Moon has a special name--the Worm Moon. It heralds the coming of northern spring and the first stirring of earthworms in thawing garden soils."

As sunlight from the Sun apperas to grow stronger and the Sun appears to shine longer on the Northern Hemisphere (actually our half of the Earth begins to tilt more toward the Sun as our spring-time approaches) the frozen ground begins to thaw and worms begin to come out of the ground.

Flowers and grass begin to grow and spring is almost here. The Full Worm Moon heralds the coming of Spring for us northern folk.

According to the Farmers’ Almanac (“Full Moon Names and Their Meanings”), “As the temperature begins to warm and the ground begins to thaw, earthworm casts appear, heralding the return of the robins.”

Page two concludes with additional photographs and various other names for the Worm Moon.