Auroras and a Worm Moon Eclipse: Celestial Events Light Up Sky Ahead of April Total Eclipse
Ahead of next month’s much-anticipated total solar eclipse, the night sky was illuminated late Sunday and early Monday by a flurry of other celestial activity over the weekend.
First, a Friday outburst of plasma, or coronal mass ejection, from the sun’s outermost layer caused a “severe” geomagnetic storm that was observed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on Sunday evening. While such storms could have effects on telecommunications technology, few were observed. But the celestial activity did pave the way for a stunning spectacle. Auroras, also known as northern or southern lights, are naturally-occurring light displays caused by disruptions in the Earth’s magnetic field. While some resultant auroras have already been spotted, such as in Fairbanks, Alaska, on Sunday evening, the geomagnetic storm’s effects are expected to carry on through Monday, with Australia and even some northern U.S. states potentially getting a glimpse of the show in the sky.
Sunday night also saw the rise of the first full moon of spring, commonly referred to as the “worm moon” or “sugar moon” by various cultures. Thanks to the “moon illusion,” according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, the worm moon seemed larger than usual as it appeared closer to the horizon and could be viewed in comparison to buildings and other landmarks on the ground. This year’s worm moon reached peak illumination at around 3:00 a.m. Eastern time on Monday.
This year’s worm moon is extra special because it also quietly slipped behind the Earth’s outer shadow for a penumbral lunar eclipse, visible in much of the world as a slight dimming of the moon. The moon was scheduled to enter the shadow at 12:53 a.m. ET, according to NASA, reaching its greatest eclipse at 3:13 a.m. when 96% of the moon was in partial shadow, and exiting the shadow at 5:32 a.m. Eclipses tend to come in pairs during what NASA calls “eclipse seasons,” about 35-day periods that come twice a year near the spring and fall equinoxes—the 2024 spring equinox was on March 20—when the sun, the moon, and the Earth are aligned. While no precautions were necessary to view the penumbral eclipse, experts warn that proper eyewear will be needed to take in the more rare and more spectacular total solar eclipse on April 8.
Read More: The ‘Devil Comet’ Will Be a Heavenly Co-Star During the Eclipse
Below are some photos and videos posted on social media that users claim to have taken of the past weekend’s celestial events:
March 2024 auroras
Stunning aurora borealis in Trondheim this evening , localized entirely within my kitchen!#trondheim #aurora pic.twitter.com/NhVlLI2cLO
— Oliver Creese (@Oliver_Creese) March 23, 2024
I know there's not a volcano in the background, but the skyline of Reykjavik is pretty cool too. Dusk at Öskjuhlíð this evening just after the G4 storm.#aurora #northernlights #iceland pic.twitter.com/OwoKK6bCds
— jessica poteet 🌻 (@MarkDownHandsUp) March 25, 2024
Some more shots of the aurora last night from my iPhone—what a show! pic.twitter.com/pFRyIEwDim
— Vincent Ledvina (@Vincent_Ledvina) March 23, 2024
March 2024 “worm moon”
The full Worm Moon rises over the Chesapeake Bay. The moon shines through the rigging of The Pride of Baltimore II at City Dock in Annapolis.
Enjoy. Thanks for being you and chasing the moon with me. pic.twitter.com/CxlLM5rTGr— Paul W. Gillespie (@pwgphoto) March 25, 2024
Tonight’s Full Moon (Worm Moon) rising above Reading Pagoda in Pennsylvania. Quite the spectacle. #wormMoon #FullMoon pic.twitter.com/chnz4vvoHe
— Dan Martland (@DanTVusa) March 25, 2024
The full Worm Moon rises behind the skyline of midtown Manhattan and the Empire State Building as the sun sets in New York City, Sunday evening #nyc #newyork #newyorkcity #sunset @empirestatebldg #WormMoon #moon #fullmoon pic.twitter.com/gvGJiA6enN
— Gary Hershorn (@GaryHershorn) March 25, 2024
This morning's almost full moon (99.3%) moonset with the DC Temple in Kensington, Maryland#moon #wormmoon #moonphotography #waxinggibbous #MDinFocus #DCTemple #MormonTemple #visitmoco #maryland #NikonNoFilter #NikonZ8 #thephotohour #stormhour @spann @capitalweather pic.twitter.com/hp2KsvfSxj
— Dave Lyons (@insiteimage) March 24, 2024
Worm moon over Seattle, WA 2024. pic.twitter.com/YXmXxX3qjf
— Kristin L. Raught Photography (@KristinLRaught) March 25, 2024
March 2024 penumbral eclipse
The penumbral lunar eclipse over Cleveland. Not much difference but this was at its peak around 3:13am. This is 6 minutes sped up to :30 seconds. #PenumbralLunarEclipse #Lunareclipse pic.twitter.com/GkIkkiKRFI
— Mike Vielhaber (@MVielhaber) March 25, 2024
A short glimpse of Penumbral Lunar Eclipse before the clouds took over #infinitegrids @CityofSurrey @VIAwesome @DailyHiveVan @GlobalBC @globalnews @CBCVancouver @CBCNews @CTVVancouver @VancouverSun @ScienceVancity @SurreyNowLeader pic.twitter.com/T39hFqO2Ro
— Srinivas Raghavan (@infinitegrids1) March 25, 2024
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