Baton Rouge Reporter

This March 14th, the Moon will be positioned on the opposite side of the Earth from the Sun, resulting in its face being fully illuminated. This celestial event will occur at 06:56 UTC (12:56 AM Central Time). Historically, early Native American tribes referred to this full moon as the Worm Moon.

Initially, it was believed that this name was linked to earthworms emerging as the soil warms in spring, attracting robins and other birds—a traditional sign of spring. However, further research provided a different perspective. In the 1760s, Captain Jonathan Carver visited the Naudowessie (Dakota) and other Native American tribes and documented that "the name Worm Moon refers to a different sort of 'worm'—beetle larvae—which begin to emerge from the thawing bark of trees and other winter hideouts at this time."

The March full moon is also known by several other names including Crow Moon, Crust Moon, Sap Moon, and Lenten Moon. These various names reflect the seasonal transition from winter to spring. Some are associated with animal appearances or reappearances such as Eagle Moon, Goose Moon (Algonquin, Cree), or Crow Comes Back Moon (Northern Ojibwe).