In pictures: Worm Moon illuminates the night sky
The Worm Moon rises over vessels in Singapore on Mar 25, 2024. (Photo: AFP/Roslan Rahman)
SINGAPORE: The Worm Moon illuminated the night sky over Singapore and other parts of the world on Monday (Mar 25), heralding the arrival of spring.
Although technically known as a micromoon, the opposite of a supermoon, it loomed large and stargazers were able to appreciate it in all its glory amid fair weather.
The Worm Moon is referred to as such because earthworms are thought to appear from hibernation as the ground thaws from winter around this period, at the beginning of spring, said the Science Centre Observatory on Monday.
Stargazers from Singapore and across the world captured images of the uniquely named celestial body.
CNA reader A Kannan photographed it from Woodlands at about 7.45pm. The moon, framed by some foliage, appeared full and bright.
He said the skies were clear Monday night and the full moon was visible from 7.30pm.
AFP photographer Roslan Rahman captured the Worm Moon, shrouded in an orange hue, as it rose above ships off Singapore. In another shot, the silhouette of a plane is seen against it, seemingly dwarfed by its size.
A NASA guide to the night sky traces the Worm Moon's distinctive name to southern tribes in the US. It added that in the western Christian ecclesiastical calendar, it is also known as the Paschal Moon, from which the date of Easter is calculated.
Local astronomy hobbyist Facebook group Stargazing Singapore posted an image of the full moon in the "Easter sky" over Ang Mo Kio.
A member of the group, Mr Dennis Cheong, also shared a photo of the moon in the distance, with lit Housing Board blocks in the foreground.
In other parts of the world, it was also seen in places like Cyprus, North Macedonia and Albania.
For those who missed out the Worm Moon, fret not. There's another full moon next month, in the form of the Pink Moon on Apr 24.
