[ad_1]
The March full moon – some say a super moon – will dazzle sky watchers this Sunday (March 28), as the warm spring weather invites more people to venture outside to look up.
The full moon only lasts a moment, but dedicated Moon observers can catch it at 2:48 p.m. EDT (6:48 p.m. UTC) Sunday, when the moon appears opposite the sun in Earth longitude, according to a NASA statement. People who miss this fleeting moment will still be able to see a large, round moon – the rocky satellite will appear full for three days, from Saturday morning (March 27) to Tuesday morning (March 30).
And, although it may be difficult to say, the moon of March is by some accounts a super moon, depending on how you interpret the term “supermoon”. This word was coined in 1979 by astrologer Richard Nolle, who stated that it referred to a new or full moon that is less than 90% of perigee, when the moon is closest to Earth. Different publications and experts, such as TimeandDate.com and astronomer Fred espenak, have different thresholds for determining when the moon is close enough to qualify as a supermoon. This year, some say 2021 will have four full super moons (March to June), while others say there will be three super moons (April to June), and some claim that it will not There will only be two full super moons (in April and May), NASA reported.
So which moon will be the “superest”? “The full moons of April and May are almost tied as the closest full moons of the year,” NASA said in the statement. “The full moon on May 26, 2021 will be slightly closer to Earth than the full moon on April 26, 2021, but only 0.04%.”
Related: In photos: sparkling images of a super moon
This weekend’s full moon has many names, but it’s often referred to as the worm moon, according to the Maine Farmer’s Almanac report in the 1930s on what Native Americans called the full moon. According to this tradition, the native tribes of the southern United States would have named it “Worm Moon” after the earthworms that appear at this time of year. These invertebrates were wiped out in the region by glaciers at the end of the last Ice Age around 12,000 years ago, but were reintroduced with the arrival of Old World settlers who brought invasive species from Europe and Asia, according to NASA. Once the snowpack has melted in the spring, these invasive earthworms often squirm.
Other names for the March moon include the raven, crust, sap, and sugar moon. According to the Maine Farmer’s Almanac, the tribes of the Northwestern United States called it the Crow Moon, due to the croaking of crows that signaled the end of winter, while other groups called it. the Crust Moon, after the crust of snow that freezes at night, or the sap or the sugar moon, because the beginning of spring is the time of year to harvest maple trees.
Meanwhile, in the Hebrew calendar, this full moon falls in the middle of the month of Nisan, which is related to the observance of Easter (or Passover), a holiday that commemorates the biblical event of the Jewish people abandoning slavery in Egypt. This year, Passover begins at sunset on March 27 and lasts until nightfall on April 4.
According to the Western Christian ecclesiastical calendar, this moon is known as the Paschal Moon, which is essential in determining the date of Easter. The word “paschal” is the Latinized word for Passover. Usually, Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon in spring. However, due to the differences in the Eastern and Western church calendars, this year Easter will fall on two dates: April 4 for Western Christianity, which considers the March moon to be the first full moon of spring, and the May 2 for the Eastern Orthodox Church, which considers the next full moon to be the Easter moon, NASA reported.
For Hindus, this full moon corresponds to the festival of colors, says Holi, which celebrates the triumph of good over evil, as well as the beginning of spring. This year, Holi falls on March 29. In Sri Lanka, this full moon is called Medin or Madin Poya and marks the Buddha’s first meeting with his father after his enlightenment, NASA reported. For followers of Islam, this full moon falls in the middle of the month of Sha’ban, the month before Ramadan.
Skywatchers will also be able to see other celestial events, unless a cloudy sky prevents them from doing so. Sunday, the day of the full moon, Mars will be the only planet visible after dark. Watch for it on the western horizon, NASA recommended.
To watch a live broadcast of Worm Moon, tune in Virtual telescope project, which will show the full moon rising over Rome.
Originally posted on Live Science.
[ad_2]
Source link