March's full 'Worm Moon' comes with 'subtle' lunar eclipse. Here's what to know
The penumbral eclipse causes a slight dimming of the moon, said NASA.
As Americans wait to view next month’s historic total solar eclipse, skywatchers will have a chance to catch another celestial event -- this one involving the moon.
Starting late Sunday night and into the early hours of Monday morning, there will be both a full moon and a so-called "subtle" lunar eclipse, according to NASA.
There are three types of lunar eclipses: a total lunar eclipse, which occurs when the moon moves into the inner part of the Earth's shadow; a partial lunar eclipse, when the moon passes through part of the Earth's shadow; and a penumbral eclipse, when the moon travels through the faint outer part of the Earth's shadow.
NASA notes that, although it's difficult to see with the naked eye, the penumbral lunar eclipse will cause a slight decrease in the moon's brightness.
"It's usually difficult to see, but you might see the difference if you look before the eclipse and then at the peak," the federal space agency said. "At the peak observers can sometimes see a subtle gradient in brightness across the Moon's face."
The eclipse will start at 1:00 a.m. ET Monday – 10 p.m. PT on Sunday – and last until 5:30 a.m. ET/ 2:30 a.m. PT on Monday, and will be visible in the Americas, weather permitting, according to NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab.
Following the penumbral eclipse, the next lunar eclipse will be a partial one on Sept. 18, 2024, which will be visible in the Americas, Europe and Africa.
Even faint lunar eclipses are almost always accompanied by solar eclipses, either a couple of weeks before or after the lunar event, according to NASA. On April 8, a total solar eclipse will cross North America, passing parts of Mexico, the U.S. and Canada. It will come Monday morning at the same time the first full moon of March occurs, known as the so-called Worm Moon.
For years, it was believed that the name Worm Moon referred to earthworms that appear as the soil warms in spring and which birds appear to eat, which is another sign of the new season, according to the The Old Farmer's Almanac.
However, the name actually comes from Native American tribes, and refers to beetle larvae that emerge from the thawing bark of trees and other winter hideouts, The Old Farmer's Almanac says.
A full moon is a lunar phase that occurs when the sun, Earth and the moon are aligned, and the side of the moon facing Earth is as close to being fully illuminated by the sun as possible.
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