The Worm Moon in 2027: date, time and why it has that name
March's full Moon, the Worm Moon, is full on . It comes up close to due east, the place where the Sun rises at the equinox.
Next three
The next three Worm Moon dates
- 372,518 km
- 358,061 kmSupermoon
- 356,670 kmSupermoon
The Worm Moon is the first full Moon of March by UTC date. In a time zone far ahead of or behind UTC, the date you see for it can fall in the next or previous month.
The name
Why it is called the Worm Moon
Worm Moon is the March name in American almanacs. It points to the thaw: as frozen ground softens, earthworm casts show on the surface again and birds start to work the lawns, so the Moon of that month took the worms' name.
Crow Moon, Sap Moon and Lenten Moon are other names for the same full Moon, after returning crows, running maple sap and the weeks before Easter. The Anglo-Saxon list gives Rethe Moon for March, and the modern revival list calls it the Moon of Winds.
- Usually in
- March
- Next full
- Distance then
- 372,518 km
- Supermoon then
- No
- Next three
- Mar 22, 2027 · Mar 11, 2028 · Mar 30, 2029
In the sky
How the Worm Moon looks
A full Moon in March sits near the middle of its yearly range. It comes up close to due east at sunset and climbs on a slope like the Sun's on an equinox day, reaching about 50 degrees at 40 degrees north and staying up for around 12 hours. Low down it picks up the orange tint any low Moon has, because its light crosses a long path through damp, dusty spring air.
The jumbo look of a Moon on the horizon is a trick of comparison, not size. Photograph it near the ground and again high up, and the two pictures show the same width, about half a degree. March is also the month when thaw and haze can blur the edge of the disc while it is low.
In the south March opens autumn, so this Worm Moon belongs with falling leaves, not thaw. Its path lies near the celestial equator, so it climbs to the same height as the equinox Sun at noon, about 55 degrees at 35 degrees south.
- Northern Hemisphere
- The Moon rises in the east near sunset
- Southern Hemisphere
- The same Moon, markings turned upside down
- Colour
- Gold near the horizon, white once it climbs
- Rises
- Around sunset
- Sets
- Around sunrise
Questions people ask
Quick answers
When is the next Worm Moon?
March 22, 2027 (UTC). The cards above show the next three, in your time zone.
Why is it called the Worm Moon?
Worm Moon is the March name in American almanacs. It points to the thaw: as frozen ground softens, earthworm casts show on the surface again and birds start to work the lawns, so the Moon of that month took the worms' name.
Is the Worm Moon a supermoon?
Not the next one: the Moon is 372,518 km away, farther than 361,400 km. Some years it is.
Does the Worm Moon change colour?
The Moon only looks gold or orange when it is low and its light crosses a lot of air. Higher up it looks white.
Is this name the same everywhere?
No. These are the US almanac names. Other regions and traditions name the same full Moons differently, and the names are not one single tradition.