Look up: Worm moon is coming Friday
Frank Sinatra sang, “Fly me to the moon, let me play among the stars.”
Old Blue Eyes in not alone in his delight of the celestial rock. For centuries, the moon has inspired singers, writers, and artists.
If you, too, are a selenophile – a lover of the moon – and are looking for some captivating lunar treats in the night sky in 2022, 10 full moons remain this year, starting with Thursday’s “worm moon.”
There is a full moon during every month of the year, and each has its own unique name.
Why?
Historically, Native Americans tracked time by naming full moons, rather than months. The tribes named each full moon based on a predominant event of nature, noted Sarah Carr, events and social media manager for 3 Rivers Outdoor Co., which since October has been hosting a monthly Full Moon Headlamp Hike in Frick Park, Pittsburgh.
March’s full moon, for example, is nicknamed the “worm moon” because it is the time of year when earth worms emerge from the thawing ground.
It’s also known as the crow moon, the sap moon, and the sugar moon.
“The worm moon sounds icky compared to the charming names of other moons, like “snow moon or pink moon,” but it’s all about spring, and rebirth, and planting,” said Carr. “(The full moon names) backgrounds are interesting.”
Full moons occur when the Earth is between the moon and the sun, making it look bigger and brighter. A full moon happens roughly every 29.5 days.
Two of this year’s full moons will be “super moons,” which occur when there is a full moon and the moon is also closest to the Earth.
The worm moon reaches peak illumination at 3:17 a.m. Friday.
The National Weather Service in Pittsburgh said the sky will be partly cloudy, and moon gazers will “have a pretty good shot to see it.”
Carr said the full moon hikes have become increasingly popular, with the 50 open slots filling up quickly.
“The chance to see the moon rising over the hillside and above the trees is beautiful. People think seeing the full moon on the trail, with red-light head lamps that cut down on light pollution, is a really cool experience,” said Carr.
If you miss the worm moon Friday, don’t worry. The moon will still look nearly full the night after.
The next full moon will be the “pink moon” on April 16.
Here’s a list of the full moons for 2022, and when they’ll occur:
n Jan. 17 – Wolf moon
n Feb. 16 – Snow moon
n March 18 – Worm moon
n April 16 – Pink moon
n May 16 – Flower moon
n June 14 – Strawberry moon
n July 13 – Buck moon
n Aug. 11 – Sturgeon moon
n Sept. 10 – Harvest moon
n Oct. 9 – Hunter’s moon
n Nov. 8 – Beaver moon
n Dec. 7 – Cold moon
Note: For information on 3 Rivers Outdoor Co.’s Full Moon Headlight Hikes, visit the website at https://3riversoutdoor.com/events.