--- title: "Would You Still Love the Moon If It Was a Worm?" description: "The Moon, beautiful as she is, is easy to love. Which is why she has to know: would you still love her... if she were a worm?" date: "2023-03-07" modified: "2023-03-07" authors: - name: "Maggie Harrison Dupré" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/mharrison" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/love-moon-if-it-was-a-worm" categories: - "Astronomy" - "Moon" - "Space" tags: - "full moon" - "moon" - "moon phases" - "the digest" --- # Would You Still Love the Moon If It Was a Worm? ![The Moon, beautiful as she is, is easy to love. Which is why she has to know: would you still love her... if she were a worm?]() *\Image: Getty / Futurism\* ## Honesty Hour The Moon, beautiful as she is, is easy to love. Which is why she has to know: would you still love her... [if she were a worm]()? And a worm she apparently is. This month's full Moon, which [according to *The Farmer's Almanac* ]()is called "The Worm Moon," rose last night around 5pm EST, reaching its peak early this morning. But if you missed it last night, don't worry: the Worm Moon shall rise again this evening at 6:09pm EST, [according to *In The Sk*y](). And while it won't technically be at its peak, this evening's spineless spectacle should clock in at over 99 percent illumination. So, you know, *basically* still full. ## Worm Turns The origins of the Worm Moon's name are muddled. As the *Farmer's Almanac* tells it, a lot of folks believed it to celebrate the first signs of Spring — the Sun comes out, the Earth starts to warm, and the slimy lil' invertebrates are seen in the soil once again. But that theory was ultimately busted, allegedly upon the discovery that "in the 1760s, Captain Jonathan Carver visited the Naudowessie (Dakota) and other Native American tribes and wrote that the name Worm Moon 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," according to the *Farmer's Almanac*. And on that note, there are apparently a number of names that the March Moon has historically gone by, a list that includes the Eagle Moon, Goose Moon, Crow Comes Back Moon, and more, each one derived from a different Native American group, so says the *Farmer's Almanac*. Of course, the Moon by any other name would still be as beautiful, whether it's a [Beaver, Buck, Sturgeon]()... or, naturally, a Worm. Even so, we'd urge you to make sure you get your binoculars out and catch the last bit of the Full Worm Moon this evening — gotta let her know you love her. **READ MORE:** [*Don't miss March's Full Worm Moon in the sky tonight*]() \[*Space.com*\] **More on Worm Moons:** [*The "Super Worm Moon" Is Ridiculous and It's Time to Stop*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've reported extensively on the rise of AI as a cultural and business force shaping the media industry, and more broadly how those dynamics are changing how we all consume and share information and relate to one another. I'm also fascinated by public health policy and ethics, the role of emerging tech in politics and governance — and the powerful people and forces at those intersections — climate change, and the environment. My investigation on Sports Illustrated's use of AI-generated authors with fictional biographies won a 2024 Mirror Award for "Best Story on Media Coverage of Artificial Intelligence in Journalism and the Media" from Syracuse University's SI Newhouse School, I contributed to Niemen Lab's 2025 Predictions for Journalism series, and I've discussed my work for Futurism during appearances on NPR, CNN, the BBC, the CBC, and more. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I played Division I field hockey for the Minutewomen as a midfielder. Since then, I've lived in New Orleans, Louisiana and Manhattan, New York. I spend my free time running, reading, perusing archival fashion, and searching for the world’s best negroni. I also have a debonair tuxedo cat, Westley, who's named after "The Princess Bride." ### Author social links [Bluesky]()