There’s a lot to be said for a big, bold, bella luna. It’s incredibly romantic for one, inspiring poets and philosophers (along with many a starry-eyed lover) to gush about its majesty. But March’s full moon, always known as the Worm Moon, is a must-see in 2026 because it coincides with a dramatic total lunar eclipse, or Blood Moon. Read on for our Blood Worm Moon explainer. And don’t worry—we promise this very special lunar phase won’t be nearly as spooky as it sounds.
During the lunar eclipse on March 3, 2026, the moon will enter the umbra at 4:50 a.m. EST, and the partial eclipse will begin. It will look like a slice has been carved out of Earth's closest neighbor. Totality will begin at 6:04 a.m. EST and last until 7:03 a.m. EST, almost an hour, with the greatest eclipse occurring at 6:33 a.m. EST. (The Full Moon itself will reach its peak at 6:38 a.m. EST.) As the Moon exits the umbra, its striking red color will fade, and it will look like a slice has been taken out of the lunar surface's opposite side. The partial eclipse will end at 8:17 a.m. EST, with the penumbral eclipse wrapping up at 9:23 a.m. EST.
Ahead, we’ll unpack everything you need to know about the Blood Worm Moon. We have answers to all of your questions, including what makes it so special, the names of other full moons, how you can celebrate the Blood Worm Moon, and even what zodiac sign the moon will be in this month!
What is a Worm Moon—and why is it called that?
The Worm Moon comes just after February’s Snow Moon, and before April’s Pink Moon, which is also the Paschal Full Moon this year. (The first full moon after the Spring Equinox, the Paschal Full Moon is used to calculate the date of Easter.)
Like all full moons, the Worm Moon takes its name from The Old Farmer’s Almanac. The trusty periodical, in publication since 1818, has offered names for every full moon for nearly a century. They’re inspired by Indigenous American, Colonial American, and European sources, who traditionally used the full moon to help keep track of seasons. These monikers applied to the entire lunar month, not just the full moon.
The name Worm Moon was long thought to reference the return of earthworms to the soil’s warming surface in spring, which brings robins back from their winter nesting grounds to feed. However, according to The Old Farmer's Almanac, further study led to a slightly different take on the term after researchers found a long-forgotten book that mentioned it. Written by Captain Jonathan Carver, who visited the Dakota people in the mid-1700s, the text contained an explanation that the Worm Moon was named for the beetle larvae that begin to emerge from tree bark come March.
Other North American tribes named the moon after different critters that start to reappear this month, including the Eagle Moon, Goose Moon, and Crow Comes Back Moon. However, the Ojibwe called it the Sugar Moon, after the maple sap which begins flowing in early spring, while the Pueblo poetically dubbed it the Wind Strong Moon, for the season’s typically gusty weather. The less lyrical Sore Eyes Moon was popular with the Lakotas and Assiniboines, who were complaining about the bright glare coming off late winter snows.
What makes 2026’s Worm Moon a Blood Moon?
Blood Moons, like this month’s Blood Worm Moon, are full moons with complete lunar eclipses, which turn Earth’s satellite a striking coppery orange-red color. For a lunar eclipse to happen, our planet must be precisely located between the sun and the moon, with Earth’s shadow falling across the latter’s surface.
According to NASA, there are three types of lunar eclipses: penumbral, partial, and total. During the penumbral phase, when the moon enters the outer (and lighter) part of Earth’s shadow, the dimming of the lunar surface is barely noticeable. The partial eclipse phase begins when the moon enters the umbra, the innermost, darkest part of Earth's shadow. This looks like a slice has been carved out of the lunar surface.
A total lunar eclipse, like the head-turning marvel we’ll see this month, is defined as featuring a moon that has moved completely into the umbra. Some sunlight still reaches it, but only the hues red and orange have wavelengths long enough to penetrate Earth’s atmosphere. This is why an eclipsed moon in totality appears the eerie color that gives this celestial event its “bloody” name. The more dust and other particles that are in our atmosphere, the redder the moon looks.
On average, total lunar eclipses happen about every 2.5 years—we don’t see them every full moon because the moon’s orbit around our planet is slightly tilted relative to Earth’s orbit around the sun.
What is the spiritual meaning of the Worm Moon?
Modern-day mystics see the full moon phase as a time of change, and a lunar eclipse only ups the intensity. Ancient peoples used the Blood Worm Moon to get in tune with your spiritual side. The Navajo, in particular, saw lunar eclipses as a time for prayer and introspection. The BaKongo people of Africa maintain that the dead and living can communicate during lunar eclipses, and so seek counsel from their ancestors during this period. And the medieval Crusaders believed a lunar eclipse they witnessed rising over Jerusalem was a good omen, foretelling their victory in battle.
How to see the Blood Worm Moon in 2026
The Worm Moon, which heralds winter’s end and the beginning of spring, is a time of renewal, when the earth and its creatures begin to reawaken after the snowy season’s long slumber. And with the temperatures warming, it provides the perfect occasion to honor our planet’s nearest neighbor with a little moon gazing—especially during the lunar eclipse!
You won’t need binoculars, much less a telescope to see the lunar eclipse, though it’s never a bad idea to bust them out if you've got ’em! The entire event will last 5 hours and 38 minutes, so you’ll have plenty of time to catch it, though totality will only last a little less than an hour.
Here are the times for totality in U.S. time zones:
- Eastern time: 6:04-7:03 a.m. EST
- Central time: 5:04-6:03 a.m. CST
- Mountain time: 4:04-5:03 a.m. MST
- Pacific time: 3:04-4:03 a.m. PST
- Alaska time: 2:04-3:03 a.m. AKST
- Hawaii time: 1:04-2:03 a.m. HST
Jill Gleeson is a travel journalist and memoirist based in the Appalachian Mountains of western Pennsylvania who has written for websites and publications including Good Housekeeping, Woman’s Day, Country Living, Washingtonian, Gothamist, Canadian Traveller, and EDGE Media Network. Jill is the travel editor for Enchanted Living. Learn more about her journey at gleesonreboots.com.
