This weekend’s full moon is named after a creepy, crawling creature. Here’s why

March’s full moon will happen this weekend, and it’s named after a creepy, crawling creature.

Sunday’s full moon is coined the “Worm Moon” because it originally referred to earthworms that would appear in the spring as soil warmed, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac.

“An alternative explanation for this name comes from Captain Jonathan Carver, an 18th-century explorer, who wrote that this moon name 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 Old Farmer’s Almanac reported.

Some tribes have called this moon a Full Crow Moon or a Full Crust Moon, according to Space.com.

The Worm Moon will also be the first supermoon of the year, according to The Science Times. A supermoon happens when the moon appears bigger and brighter in the sky because it is closer to Earth.

The bright moon could make it harder to see stars, according to Forbes. But the moon could make it worth it for stargazers. It’ll appear at dusk Sunday in the east.

“Get in position to see our satellite appear as a (slightly larger than usual) delicate orangey orb,” Forbes reported.

This story was originally published March 24, 2021 at 11:18 AM.