The Last Supermoon Of The Year Landed On The First Day Of Spring

Spring Supermoon Coming Soon

After the spectacular views on Jan. 21 and Feb. 19, the third and final supermoon of the year happened last night, March 20, right on the date of the spring equinox.

According to NASA, a supermoon happens when the moon is both in its full phase and at the point in its elliptical orbit where it’s closest to earth. Astronomers call this phenomenon a perigean full moon, but it’s been known more informally as a supermoon since 1979.

According to NASA data, USA Today reported that this supermoon will be 224,173 miles (360,771 kilometers) from Earth. That’s roughly 14,000 miles closer than average.

It’s the first time in two decades a full moon and the start of spring have been so close to each other. This kind of full moon is also known as the “worm moon” (or sap moon) in the Northern Hemisphere. The name comes from The Old Farmer’s Almanac where it is said that “The ground begins to soften and earthworm casts reappear, inviting the return of robins.”

Although a supermoon does not appear bigger than an average moon to the human eye, it does tend to appear brighter, and can appear as much as 30 percent brighter than normal.

By: Maytinee Kramer