This week, a full “blood worm moon” is coming our way in the form of a total lunar eclipse set to be visible this week from the evening of Thursday, March 13th, until the early morning of Friday, March 14th!
What is a ‘blood worm moon’?
First, a ‘worm moon’ is simply the nickname given to a full moon in March – the origins of the name come from the Native Americans who would correlate the last full moon of winter with worm trails starting to appear on freshly thawed ground, signifying the change of the season.
Second, this is a ‘blood worm moon’ because it will be during a total lunar eclipse!
This is when the moon falls within the darkest part of the Earth’s shadow, which NASA calls the umbra. When the moon is in the umbra, it appears to have a red-orange coloration, thus lending the name ‘blood moon’ we use today.
When will the ‘blood worm moon’ be visible from Washington, D.C.?
The rare ‘blood worm moon’ will be visible only during the total lunar eclipse taking place this Thursday, March 13th, until the moon sets on the morning of Friday, March 14th.
According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, the moon is expected to rise in the D.C. area around 6:50 pm on Thursday, which will be around 20 minutes before the sun sets.
The moon will set Friday morning at around 7:30 am, which means that if you don’t have a chance to see the total lunar eclipse Thursday night, you’ll still have a decent chance to wake up early and see it in the morning!
How you can view the blood moon from the D.C. area
The current weather report for Thursday evening in the D.C. area suggests only some mild cloud cover, which means that there is a good chance you’ll be able to catch a glimpse of the full moon in all its ‘bloody’ red glory!
If you are curious about where around the District you’ll get the best view of the blood moon, we suggest you check out our guide on the best places to see the sunset around the capital city!
There, you’ll find a few fantastic spots away from the heavy traffic of the city that will make enjoying the moment that much easier.