Supermoon In March 2019: What Makes This One So Special?

The third supermoon of the year will light up the sky on Wednesday night. Those who don't identify as astronomy enthusiasts can be forgiven for asking: "what exactly is a supermoon and what makes this one so special?"

According to NASA, "a supermoon occurs when the moon’s orbit is closest (perigee) to Earth at the same time it is full." The result is a bigger and brighter moon than a typical full moon.

The upcoming supermoon will close out a trio of supermoons that have filled the sky this year. The other supermoons took place on Jan. 21 and Feb. 19. March's moon won't be completely full until 9:43 p.m. ET.

This supermoon stands out for several reasons. First, it has an interesting name, "Super Worm Equinox Moon." Technically, this is the combination of two names because of where this moon falls this year.

Native Americans originated the phrase "Super Worm." It was given its name because around this time of the year the ground begins to soften so earthworms can reemerge, according to the Farmer's Almanac.

"Equinox" is attached this year because the moon falls on 2019's Spring Equinox. In simple terms, it means that this moon marks the beginning of spring.

Another reason this supermoon is interesting is because at the same time it comes into view an asteroid will be passing by Earth. According to CNN, the asteroid will be passing by Earth at 190,246 miles away. This means the asteroid will be closer to Earth than the moon will be, classifying it as an "aten," or near-earth, asteroid.