Spring harbinger
Spectacle in the night sky – the “worm moon” is currently shining on us
Also in English-speaking countries one speaks of “Worm Moon”. This photo of the full moon was taken over the weekend in England.
© DPR/ / Picture Alliance
This weekend is full moon. And there are several special features. The celestial body looks particularly large and somehow has something to do with worms.
The weather is getting nicer, spring is coming and the moon is full. Or, to be more precise, “worm moon”. This is what the full moon around the beginning of spring is called. On March 21st the time has come. Then – at least according to the calendar – winter is over. And just before this beginning of spring, the moon shows itself in all its glory.
The moon reached its fullest extent on Friday morning, but it is still clearly visible last night and the next.
It’s Wormmoon – and the moon also appears particularly large
The optics play a trick on us and make the moon appear even larger than it actually is, as the US space agency Nasa explains. Because the full moon is seen near the horizon, our eyes compare it to nearby objects, such as trees or buildings. As a result, the earth’s satellite appears bulkier than usual.
In addition, according to reports on the current sky constellations, the moon is currently moving towards its closest position to earth, which will be reached on March 24th. Then he would be “only” 369,000 away from our planet.
But why do we speak of the “worm moon” at the current full moon? The term is said to have come from Canadian natives. They once observed that at the time of the spring full moon, the worms finally peeked out of the previously frozen earth. Birds and other animals had enough food again. The expression “worm moon” is common in English-speaking countries.
Another expression also attributed to the indigenous peoples of North America is “crow moon”. It is said that the crows calling at this time signaled the end of winter.
It’s a full moon and the weather is getting spring-like
In our latitudes we also say “Lenzmond” – precisely because spring is approaching, which is also called “Lenz”. The term “Lent Moon” is also common because this full moon falls during Lent.
Whatever the current night sky spectacle is called, it’s beautiful to look at and shows us that winter is coming to an end. So spring can come and the worms can diligently dig their way through the thawed earth.
Swell: Wetter.de, CNN“Merkur.de“
Watch the video: A team of Swedish scientists has investigated how the phases of the moon affect sleep patterns. Men and women of different ages participated in this study. The result of this study provides new insights into the influence that the moon has on the earth.