Worm moon arrives

If you were awake early Monday morning, the area got to see a unique show in the sky. Two unique shows, actually. First, starting at 12:53 a.m., the moon was almost perfectly aligned with the sun and Earth, causing what’s known as a penumbral lunar eclipse. That is, the outer edge of Earth’s shadow, known as the penumbra, reflected on the moon. So for those awake to see it, there was a shadow stretching over part of the moon. That shadow kept growing and growing until roughly 3:12 a.m., when the entire moon looked a bit darker than usual.

Then there was the second show, as this marked the start of March’s full moon, also known as a “worm moon” by the Farmers’ Almanac. The full moon, which will be visible for a few days, is called the worm moon because of how close it is to the spring equinox, which was on Tuesday, March 19. Native tribes called it the worm moon as it marked the approach of spring, where worms, beetles and other creatures would emerge from hibernation.

And if you missed all this, don’t worry. A total solar eclipse will be in view on Monday, April 8. Here’s a look at the worm moon, photographed by reader Ron Card.

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