A full moon will share the night sky with three planets soon.
The US Naval Observatory recently announced that people could watch March's full moon, also known as the worm moon, in a free webcast via a robotic telescope soon.
Jupiter, Venus, and Mars will also be visible in the night sky, though it is unknown if they will be part of the webcast.
Full Worm Moon Webcast Details
The US Naval Observatory mentioned on its Moon Phase page that the moon will enter its "full moon" phase on Mar. 7. Though it didn't say when the full moon will reach its peak, Space.com reports that it will do so at 7:40 PM ET.
At that time, large parts of North America must catch the height of this full moon hours and days before the peak. In addition, NASA expects that the moon will appear in the night sky from Sunday evening through Wednesday morning, per Fox Weather.
Interestingly, the full moon in March is known as the "Worm Moon," according to The Farmer's Almanac. This name comes from the fact that worms start to come to the surface during the full moon in March in the Northern Hemisphere, per Live Science.
These worms are an invitation for birds, particularly robins, to feed, making March's full moon a true sign of spring.
To watch the Worm Moon reach its peak, the virtual Telescope project will host a webcast showing the Worm Moon shining over Rome on Mar. 7 at 1:30 PM EST. People interested in watching it can do so live through the project's website or YouTube Channel.
People with telescopes and binoculars can also join in the fun; they can find the moon in the Virgo Constellation, and as such, they can aim their preferred viewing device on that constellation to see the Full Worm Moon. While binoculars won't offer a clearer or sharper image, they will do in a pinch for people who just want to observe the moon in such a phase.
Full Worm Moon Facts
Though The Farmer's Almanac's explanation for why March's full moon is called a Worm Moon gives people a general idea of the reason behind the name, Almanac.com provided a more in-depth reason.
The publication, which cites Captain Jonathan Carver's findings in the 1760s, reports that the Naudowessie (Dakota) and other Native American Tribes call March's full moon the Worm Moon because beetle larvae begin to emerge from barks of trees when they thaw and their other winter hideouts at this time.
There are other names for the Worm Moon in other parts of the world. Christians would know March's full moon as the Lenten Moon as the Christian period of fasting, the Lenten season, coincides with March's full moon, per NASA.
However, Christians also know the Worm Moon as the Paschal Full Moon if it is the first full moon of spring. Since March's full moon falls before the spring equinox, the upcoming Worm Moon is a Lenten Moon for Christians worldwide.
