Sky-gazers ready for a stellar doubleheader.
The third and final supermoon of 2019 will premier in the night sky March 20th — only four hours after the spring equinox, marking the first time these astronomical events have occurred on the same day since March 1981.
Nicknamed the Full Worm Moon, the lunar show will close out the year’s celestial trifecta — which kicked off with the super blood moon eclipse in January and continued with the super snow moon in February.
Wednesday’s supermoon will be fully visible at 9:43 pm ET, according to EarthSky. The equinox, which is the moment the sun’s rays are shining directly on the equator, will take place at 5:58 pm ET.
Regardless of where you are in the world, the equinox means nearly everyone will experience exactly 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness. This only happens one other day of the year, during the September equinox.
And the full worm supermoon means the moon will be orbiting at its perigee, or the closest point to Earth while remaining a full moon. As long as it’s a clear evening, the moon will appear at its biggest and brightest.
Specifically, Wednesday’s orbit will bring the moon 223,308 miles away from Earth. Usually, the moon is about 238,885 miles from Earth but, since its orbit is elliptic shape, it can be as far away as 252,088 miles, according to NASA.
Native Americans dubbed it the “full worm moon” since it appears when the ground begins to soften and earthworm manure starts to appear, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac.
