Full moon March 2026: Worm Moon in Virgo

What time is it where you are?

The same instant falls on different dates around the world, so check the date as well as the time.

Moonrise and the highest point

A full moon rises around sunset and climbs highest around the middle of the night. These are the moonrise nearest the exact moment and the Moon's highest point after it, in local time.

Of these cities, it rides highest in Lagos, at 86°, and lowest in London, at 41°.

Height is the angle above the horizon, where 90° would be straight overhead. A full moon near the horizon is the same size as a high one. It only looks bigger.

Why it's called the Worm Moon

Named for the earthworms and beetle larvae that appear as the ground thaws at the end of winter. It is a sign that spring is close, not a description of the Moon.

The total lunar eclipse

At the peak of the eclipse, at 11:33 UTC, the Moon is above the horizon in Los Angeles, Singapore, Tokyo, Sydney, Honolulu, Mexico City, Beijing and Auckland.

Eclipse visibility is checked at the peak for 20 world cities. Never look at the Sun directly, even during a partial eclipse.

The stars behind this full moon

Signs follow the seasons and constellations are patterns of stars, and the two have drifted apart over the centuries. At 12°54′ Virgo, the Moon actually stands in front of Leo, the lion, not the constellation Virgo is named after. The Sun, on the far side of the sky at 12°53′ Pisces, is in front of Aquarius.

More about LeoWhy signs and constellations differSee the real sky at your own birth

How close is the Moon?

At 382,603 km from Earth, this is the 7th closest of the 13 full moons of 2026. It looks 6% wider than the farthest full moon of the year, on 31 May 2026, a difference that is easier to measure than to see.

Perigee, the closest point of this orbit, comes on 24 February 2026 at 23:11 UTC, 7 days before the exact full moon, at 370,125 km. Apogee, the farthest point, comes on 10 March 2026 at 404,374 km.

The planets at this full moon

Where everything else stands at the exact moment, and any major aspect each planet makes to the Moon, using the same orbs Hali uses in every chart.

The tightest contact is a sextile from Jupiter, 2.3° from exact. A sextile from Jupiter offers an opening that is easy to miss if you are not looking. With Mercury opposite the Moon, its themes tend to show up as a pull in another direction. Mercury and Jupiter are retrograde at this moment.

Planets to look for

The bright Moon washes out faint stars, but the planets still shine through.

• Mercury is too close to the Sun to see.
• Venus is too close to the Sun to see.
• Mars is too close to the Sun to see.
• Jupiter is in the evening sky after sunset, in front of Gemini.
• Saturn is in the evening sky after sunset, in front of Pisces.

Eclipse season

The Moon is 3.9° from the South Node, one of the two points where its path crosses the Sun's. That is close enough for the total lunar eclipse described above. The next eclipse is the total solar eclipse at the new moon of August 2026.

What the lunar nodes are

This lunar cycle

This full moon is the peak of the cycle that began with the new moon in Aquarius on 17 February 2026. The cycle ends with the new moon on 19 March 2026.

A full moon in Virgo

With the Sun opposite in Pisces, this full moon sets order against surrender. Habits, health and the small daily routines come into view, along with how much you are trying to control.

Astrology reads full and new moons as moments for reflection, not predictions. Take what helps and leave the rest.

When the Moon is in Virgo

Virgo Moon days are practical and detailed. They suit lists, cleaning, health routines and finally sorting out the small things you've been avoiding.

More about the Moon in Virgo

The same moon in other years

• Last yearFull moon March 2025, Virgo
• Next yearFull moon March 2027, Libra
• Next full moon in VirgoFull moon February 2027, Virgo