The 2022 Worm Moon recently appeared in the sky as the latest full Moon of the year, and if you happened to miss it, a bunch of talented photographers took some amazing photos of it. While some objects in space require advanced telescopes and imaging technology to see, the Moon is clearly visible to the naked eye. Look up during the night, find the Moon, and you often see it without a problem.
While the Moon is a spectacle any night that it's visible, it looks its best when it's a full Moon. This happens once per month when the Sun, Earth, and Moon line up just right with each other — causing the Moon to be its biggest and brightest. This past January gave us the full Wolf Moon, February's full Moon was the Snow Moon, and the most recent one was the Worm Moon.
The Worm Moon was at its brightest in the wee hours of the morning around 3:20 AM EDT on Friday, March 18. If you didn't stay up that late to see the Worm Moon, worry not! The full Moon will be mostly visible again tonight, and on top of that, many photographers captured the Worm Moon so you can see it right now. One of the best photos of the 2022 Worm Moon comes from Reddit user u/arjungrande. Shared on the r/moon subreddit, u/arjungrande says they took this picture of the Worm Moon with their phone and telescope. And what a photo it is. You can easily make out the Moon's various craters and varying shades of gray. It's a stunning photo without any context, and the fact that it was captured with a phone makes it all the more impressive.
More Stunning Photos Of The 2022 Full Worm Moon
Also on the r/moon subreddit, u/SilverScarletMoon shared a few Worm Moon photos taken with their iPhone 13 Pro. The pictures aren't quite as detailed, but for these coming straight from an iPhone without a telescope to help out, they're pretty incredible. The photo on the left shows the Worm Moon creeping out from behind a bunch of trees, while the one on the right captures more of its surface details. If you needed proof of how far smartphone cameras have come in recent years, these are excellent examples.
But the Worm Moon pictures don't stop there! Another stunning photo comes from photographer Ray Mackey. Mackey captured the Worm Moon setting in St. John's, Newfoundland on Friday morning. Seeing the bright orange ball of the Moon setting behind Newfoundland's beautiful architecture is a sight to behold — and Mackey pulled off the shot perfectly.
Looking more closely at the Worm Moon, self-described 'amateur astronomer' @luvblackroses on Twitter shared this picture of the 2022 Worm Moon. It shows the Worm Moon when it was 99 percent full and was taken from Northern Ireland. Represented with a slight pink hue, the photo provides an amazing look at the Moon's chaotic surface and many craters.
Another interesting shot comes from Keith Finlayson. Shared on Twitter by KSL News anchor Deanie Wimmer, Finlayson's photo doesn't actually show the Worm Moon itself. Instead, the picture reveals a stunning halo from the Worm Moon just before it rose into the night sky.
Last but not least, Twitter user @VeronicaJoPo shared a trio of Worm Moon photos — and each one is a joy to look at. The first picture shows the Worm Moon over some trees in Ely, Cambridgeshire. The second photo has a few birds flying in front of the Moon, while the third one shows the Worm Moon sitting against a calming sky with pink clouds below it.
If these pictures still aren't scratching your Moon-watching itch, there's some good news. While it won't be at its peak brightness tonight, you'll be able to see most of the Worm Moon again this evening (March 18). If you can't see it then, the next full Moon — the Pink Moon — is expected on April 16, 2022.
Source: u/arjungrande, u/SilverScarletMoon