EYES TO THE SKIES FOR MARCH’S FULL MOON - THE “WORM” MOON! PLUS A TOTAL LUNAR ECLIPSE FOR THOSE IN AMERICA, ASIA AND AUSTRALIA💖🌕🔭✨️ - 02-03/03/2026
Tonight, on the evening of the 2nd into the morning of the 3rd (weather permitting) we will hopefully be treated to views of February’s beautiful full moon which is known to some as the “Snow” Moon.
Although the full Moon may not always be the astrophotographer's best of friends, the full Moon always makes for a beautiful sight in the night sky and is an important marker of the seasons for many people.
This Month, for those lucky enough to be in North America, Eastern Asia and Australia, you will also be able to enjoy viewing a total lunar eclipse!
If you would like to know more about this month’s full moon, the total lunar eclipse plus when and where to see the Worm Moon, please read on…
WHAT IS A FULL MOON?
A full Moon occurs when the Moon’s position in its orbit around Earth, is at its furthest distance from the Sun (almost on the opposite side of the Earth compared to the Sun). This event, when the Earth stands almost directly between the Sun and Moon is also known as a Syzygy. When this happens, the side of the Moon that can be seen from Earth is completely illuminated, giving it the appearance of being full.
On rare occasions the Earth can stand directly in between the Sun and Moon resulting in a lunar eclipse.
TOTAL LUNAR ECLIPSE
This month there will also be a very special event occurring during the full moon – a total lunar eclipse!
If you are lucky enough to be in North America, Eastern Asia or Australia, you will be able to enjoy viewing a total lunar eclipse which is also known as a “blood” Moon.
We will be making a separate post for this special event, and so if you would like to learn more please read our total lunar eclipse post.
FULL MOON NAMES
The full moon of each month has been given names by many cultures and peoples throughout history. The most commonly known full moon names are derived from Native American tribes. The Native American tribes gave distinctions to moons based on the time of year and the weather’s relationships to crop harvests and appearance of certain animals or animal behaviours.
THE "WORM" MOON
March’s full Moon is often referred to by the name ‘The Worm Moon’. Some believe this name refers to the earthworms that appear as the soil warms in spring. Inviting the robins and other birds to feed—a true sign of spring!
However, more recently research has revealed another explanation. In the 1760s, Captain Jonathan Carver visited the Naudowessie (Dakota) and other Native American tribes and wrote that the name Worm Moon refers to a different sort of “worm” known as the beetle larvae, which begin to emerge from the thawing bark of trees and other winter hideouts at this time.
OTHER ALTERNATIVE MARCH MOON NAMES
There are quite a few names for the March Moon that speak to the transition from winter to spring.
Some refer to the appearance of certain animals, such as the Eagle Moon, Goose Moon (Algonquin, Cree), or Crow Comes Back Moon (Northern Ojibwe), while others refer to signs of the season. For example, ‘The Sugar Moon’ (Ojibwe) which marks the time of year when the sap of sugar maples starts to flow. ‘The Wind Strong Moon’ (Pueblo) refering to the strong windy days that come at this time of year and ‘The Sore Eyes Moon’ (Dakota, Lakota, Assiniboine) highlighting the blinding rays of sunlight that reflect off the melting snow of late winter.
March’s full Moon often plays a role in religion, too. Specifically, in Christianity, this Moon is known as the Lenten Moon if it is the last full Moon of the winter season (i.e., if it occurs before the spring equinox) or as the Paschal Full Moon if it is the first full Moon of spring (i.e., if it occurs after the spring equinox).
Two other names that seem to contradict each other are the Chaste Moon, and the Death Moon. Chaste, because March heralds the birth of spring, a time of newness and purity; and Death, because it may sometimes be the last full moon of winter.
WHEN AND WHERE WILL THE FULL MOON OCCUR?
This month, the Moon reaches syzygy with the Earth and Sun at around 11:34 GMT on the day of the 3rd of March, at this time the Moon will be below the horizon.
This means that the night that the Moon will appear most full will be the night of the 2nd into the morning of the 3rd.
The Moon will rise in the early evening of the 2nd at around 16:34 GMT towards the East. As the night progresses the Moon will climb in the sky travelling Southwards. The Moon will reach an altitude of 44 degrees at its highest point in the sky at roughly 23:51 GMT towards the South. Following this, the Moon will begin to descend travelling towards the West where it will set in the morning skies at around 06:46 GMT on the morning of the 3rd.
Remember that you don’t really need to know the exact time of peak illumination to enjoy viewing the full Moon, as the Moon will appear full throughout the night and on the nights surrounding the peak.
WHERE AMONG THE STARS CAN THE MOON BE FOUND?
On the night of the 1st our natural satellite will be hitching a ride in the zodiacal constellation of Leo – the lion.
More specifically, the Moon can be found nearby to the star Regulus – the brightest star in the constellation of Leo.
The zodiacal constellation of Leo can be found in between the constellations of Cancer and Virgo.
LUNAR OBSERVATION
The great thing about observing the Moon is that you don’t have to go and find a particularly dark location to view it. As the Moon is such a bright object in the sky, you can view it from brighter locations, even from the centre of a heavily light polluted city. Weather permitting of course.
MOON RISE/SET – MOON ILLUSION
It's always lovely to watch the moon rise/set, so if you can head out to witness the Moon rise or set, please do. Every time the Moon rises and sets it takes on a beautiful golden, amber colour and appears larger at this time too, due to an optical illusion known as the ‘Moon illusion’. It's truly special to witness. As it rises and glides higher, it’s colour will transition into a bright white.
Sometimes the Moon can appear even more orangey red than usual too! The hue of the moon typically depends on atmospheric conditions wherever you’re viewing it from. Things like clouds, dust, haze, smoke or pollution can cause the moon to appear different colours by scattering much of the blue light shining onto our natural satellite, leaving it with a more reddish tone.
WHAT ELSE IS IN THE NIGHT SKY THROUGHOUT MARCH?
If you would like to know more about the rest of the celestial treats that can be seen in the skies throughout March, please head to our YouTube channel to watch our Night Sky Guide video for March 2026.
SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCES AND PHOTOGRAPHS!
We always love hearing about your celestial adventures and seeing your photographs! If you head out to witness or capture photos of this special celestial event or any other sights in the night sky, please feel free to share your stories and photos in the comments below. 😊
GOOD LUCK AND CLEAR SKIES
This month’s full Moon will be a beautiful sight, and if you can, we recommend heading out to witness this March’s full Moon!
Good luck if you head out folks. Wrap up warm if you do. Any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.
Clear skies 💖
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