Smoky Mountain Super Moon

Smoky Mountain Super Moon!

Smoky Mountain Super Moon will rise above the Southern Appalachian mountains Wednesday, March 20, 2019. This Smoky Mountain special event is the final Super Moon of the year appearing on the same day as the vernal equinox, the beginning of spring! This super moon is known as the “Full Worm Moon.”  The full moon and the spring equinox arrive within four hours of each other. The last time this occurred was March 2000, but the last time it was on the same date was March 20, 1981.

A “supermoon” means the Moon will be almost at its closest point to the Earth for the month. This is the third and final supermoon of 2019. The moon will seem bigger and brighter than normal.

Traditionally Native American and other historical names for full Moons were used to keep track of the seasons. Each full Moon name was applied to the entire lunar month during which it appears. The Moon we view in March is known as the Full Worm Moon. During this time of year the ground begins to soften from the cold extremes of winter inviting earthworms to begin to appear and do their thing. Robins and other birds begin to feed on them and this was always considered a verifiable sign of spring. This re-birth of the earth is accompanied by roots pushing their way through the soil with green shoots popping up.

Many other names of the March full moon are a mix of folklore and necessity. One name is the the Full Sap Moon referring to the traditional time of year the sap of sugar maple trees begins to flow.

Some of our favorite places to view the Full Worm Moon in the Smoky Mountain region is Clingmans Dome, Cades Cove, Oconaluftee, Mount Cammerer,  and Cataloochee.

	New Moon: March 6, 11:04 A.M. EDT
	First Quarter: March 14, 6:27 A.M. EDT
	Full Moon: March 20, 9:43 P.M. EDT
	Last Quarter: March 28, 12:10 A.M. EDT

Content attribution and graphic: Farmers Almanac