Stargazers have been spoilt for choice with lunar-related phenomena this year. The first three months of 2019 have seen a trifecta of Super moons: a Super Blood Wolf Moon arrived in January and that was followed with a Super Snow Moon in February. The third and final Super moon of the year loomed last night – an astronomical event dubbed the Super Worm Equinox Moon – a video of which can be viewed HERE.
Yesterday’s Super Worm Equinox Moon was a full moon coinciding with the Vernal, or Spring, Equinox.
This marks the point which the Northern Hemisphere begins to tilt towards the Sun.
And for a short time, the days and nights are of virtually equal length –the technical term equinox means “equal night”.
A Full Moon coinciding with the Spring Equinox is a rare occurrence.
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The 2019 Super Worm Moon is the closest to the Spring Equinox since 2000.
The March Full Moon earned its unusual moniker from the Old Farmer’s Almanac.
The Super moon is named after the earthworms traditionally thought to reappear from the soil at the point in the season.
Super moons occur when the Moon is closest to the Earth, making it appear 14 percent bigger and 30 percent brighter than normal in this instance.
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The equinoxes aren’t the only dates that we look to in order to determine the first day of the new season.
Meteorologists use weather patterns and temperature cycles to mark the seasons, according to the Farmer’s Almanac.
By their calendar, Spring has already sprung – March 1 was the first day – and will end on May 31.
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The Vernal Equinox is far less controversial than another marker of Spring – daylight saving time.
The annual tradition of setting clocks ahead one hour to make the most of the daylight during summer is increasingly controversial with a growing consensus seeking to abolish the practice.
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