Full Worm and Blood Moon shines in night sky
The lunar eclipse as seen from New Zealand on Wednesday morning local time
- Published
The first full Moon of the spring - known as the Worm Moon - rose in the skies across the United Kingdom on Monday night.
However, it will still appear full on Tuesday night into Wednesday and with lots of clear skies forecast there'll be another opportunity to see it.
For sky watchers in Asia, Australia and parts of the Americas the full Moon coincided with a rare total lunar eclipse making it appear red.
The full lunar eclipse, and Blood Moon as it's known, wasn't visible in the UK.
In Tynemouth, North Tyneside, the Worm Moon set as a bright yellow disc
Full Moons have names that date back to ancient traditions before modern calendars were used.
They were helpful ways to mark the changing seasons and the names tended to relate to significant timely events.
The March full Moon is known as the Worm Moon as it refers to when earthworms start to emerge from the soil as the weather warms in springtime.
A vibrant Worm Moon sits to the right of Penshaw Monument, near Sunderland
Why do full Moons have names?
- Published13 March 2025
Rare Blood Moon for some
The beginning of the full lunar eclipse seen in Bejing during the early hours of Wednesday morning local time
For some parts of the world, the full Moon was visible as it underwent a total lunar eclipse, becoming what is known as a Blood Moon.
A lunar eclipse occurs when Earth moves directly between the Sun and Moon, casting a shadow onto the Moon's surface.
The Moon appears to turn a rusty red during a total lunar eclipse because Earth's atmosphere filters and bends sunlight so that only the red wavelengths reach and illuminate it.
Sky watchers in North America, South America, East Asia, and Australia - almost a third of the world's population - were able to see the full eclipse on Tuesday morning.
When can you see the full Moon?
A BBC Weather Watcher photographed the full Moon rising in Hampshire on Monday evening
The forecast for Tuesday night suggests that while there will be some areas of cloud across England and Wales, there should be plenty of clear spells to see the Worm Moon.
However, if the weather is not on your side this time, the next one will rise on 1 April with the Pink Moon, followed by the Flower Moon on 1 May.
May will also feature a second full Moon on 31 May, known as a Blue Moon. The Blue Moon is so-called because having two full Moons in a single month only happens once every few years, giving rise to the expression "once in a blue Moon".
- Published2 days ago
- Published2 days ago
