The first full moon of March is no ordinary full moon.
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According to the Farmer's Almanac, it's actually called the full worm moon, a nickname given by Native Americans — the Algonquin tribes in particular — who used lunar phases to track the seasons.
“At the time of this Moon, the ground begins to soften enough for earthworm casts to reappear, inviting the return of robins and migrating birds— a true sign of spring,” the almanac reported. “Roots start to push their way up through the soil, and the Earth experiences a re-birth as it awakens from its winter slumber.”
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Want to catch the full moon in all its glory? It becomes full on Thursday, March 1, at 7:51 p.m. EST and again on Saturday, March 31, at 8:37 a.m. EST.
March is the second blue moon month of 2018, meaning two months this year will have two full moons instead of the usual one.
According to Earthsky.org, two blue moon months in one year is relatively uncommon. In fact, the double feature won't occur again until 2037 and the last time it happened was in 1999.
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