--- title: March 2024 Auroras and Worm Moon Eclipse—in Photos description: The night sky lit up over the weekend for several celestial events ahead of April’s much-anticipated total eclipse. canonical: https://time.com/6960202/geomagnetic-storm-auroras-worm-moon-penumbral-eclipse-photo-video-2024/ author: Chad de Guzman article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2024-03-25T09:30:00.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:50:30.808Z article:section: Science og:title: March 2024 Auroras and Worm Moon Eclipse—in Photos og:description: The night sky lit up over the weekend for several celestial events ahead of April’s much-anticipated total eclipse. og:url: https://time.com/6960202/geomagnetic-storm-auroras-worm-moon-penumbral-eclipse-photo-video-2024/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt682a1f23986fa6b2/698a551e096a94404d6b0584/worm-moon.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1024 og:image:height: 576 og:image:alt: Worm Moon og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: March 2024 Auroras and Worm Moon Eclipse—in Photos twitter:description: The night sky lit up over the weekend for several celestial events ahead of April’s much-anticipated total eclipse. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt682a1f23986fa6b2/698a551e096a94404d6b0584/worm-moon.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Auroras and a Worm Moon Eclipse: Celestial Events Light Up Sky Ahead of April Total Eclipse > Sponsored content. 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Future Proof is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-futureproof-2026q3/newsletters?i=50cb2ecd-8054-43fa-94b5-40fa0424c37f&cr=time-nl-futureproof-2026q3-v1) ## Video: 2024 U.S. Total Eclipse Explained [Watch (HLS stream): 2024 U.S. Total Eclipse Explained](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/MOMY0Lpx.m3u8) (2:13)  _Published 2024-02-27. A rare total solar eclipse will occur across Mexico, the U.S., and Canada on April 8, 2024, when the moon will pass between the Earth and the Sun, blocking the sun’s rays during the day time, causing a temporary period of darkness. TIME Editor-at-Large Jeffrey Kluger explains the best way to experience it._  by [Chad de Guzman](https://time.com/author/chad-de-guzman/)  ## Chad de Guzman Reporter Mar 25, 2024 9:30 AM UTC  The March 2024 “worm moon,” viewed through a gap between tree leaves in a West Bengal forest. The March 2024 “worm moon,” viewed through a gap between tree leaves in a West Bengal forest. Soumyabrata Roy—NurPhoto/Getty Images  by [Chad de Guzman](https://time.com/author/chad-de-guzman/)  ## Chad de Guzman Reporter Mar 25, 2024 9:30 AM UTC Ahead of next month’s much-anticipated [total solar eclipse](https://time.com/6835995/how-to-watch-solar-eclipse-cities/), 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](https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/phenomena/coronal-mass-ejections), from the sun’s outermost layer caused a [“severe” geomagnetic storm](https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/news/severe-g4-geomagnetic-storms-observed-24-march-2024) that was observed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on Sunday evening. While such storms could have [effects on telecommunications technology](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2024/03/04/what-a-major-solar-storm-could-do-to-our-planet), 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](https://twitter.com/i/status/1772005471270085019), the geomagnetic storm’s effects are expected to carry on through Monday, with [Australia](https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/mar/25/southern-lights-could-be-visible-across-southern-australia-tonight) and even [some northern U.S. states](https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/aurora-viewline-tonight-and-tomorrow-night-experimental) 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_](https://www.almanac.com/content/full-moon-march), 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](https://airandspace.si.edu/multimedia-gallery/web11715-2010640jpg#:~:text=Earth%20creates%20two%20shadows%3A%20the,the%20Moon%20enters%20the%20umbra.) shadow for a penumbral lunar eclipse, visible [in much of the world](https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/lunar/2024-march-25) as a slight dimming of the moon. The moon was scheduled to enter the shadow at 12:53 a.m. ET, [according to NASA](https://science.nasa.gov/skywatching/nasa-daily-skywatching-guide/), 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](https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/) “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](https://time.com/6958764/solar-eclipse-glasses-free-buy-fakes/) 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_](https://time.com/6958713/devil-comet-solar-eclipse-2024/) 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 > [](https://twitter.com/Oliver%5FCreese/status/1771662806347125014) > [](https://twitter.com/MarkDownHandsUp/status/1772059868913868882) > [](https://twitter.com/Vincent%5FLedvina/status/1771606510251971001) ## March 2024 “worm moon” > [](https://twitter.com/pwgphoto/status/1772074049444667789) > [](https://twitter.com/DanTVusa/status/1772081373437640723) > [](https://twitter.com/GaryHershorn/status/1772068286731083872) > [](https://twitter.com/insiteimage/status/1771898770717851702) > [](https://twitter.com/KristinLRaught/status/1772130689195880454) ## March 2024 penumbral eclipse > [](https://twitter.com/MVielhaber/status/1772168809794695298) > [](https://twitter.com/infinitegrids1/status/1772166132557877497) ## Transcript Total eclipses occur when the moon passes directly between the Earth and the Sun blocking solar light since 1900 only 12 have touch the US Mainland most of them only glancingly on average a total solar eclipse will happen where you live only once every 375 years. Why are they so rare? Well, the sun is about 400 times larger than the moon but the sun is also 400 times farther away. So the two bodies appear about the same size to us on the moon orbits the earth once each month. So why doesn't it Shadow touch the Earth causing an eclipse with each pass? Partly because the moon's orbit is tilted slightly which causes its shadow to miss the Earth most of the time but it's also because the moon's orbit is elliptical for much of its path. The Moon is farther away from Earth and appears too small to block out the sun completely those eclipses are called annular. Only when the eclipse occurs at the moon's closest approach is a total eclipse possible, even then the narrow band of totality usually tracks over water or away from population centers. That's why this eclipse on April 8th is so special as it crosses the Texas border at about 1:27 p.m. Local time sitting closest to the center of the path like Waco Cleveland and buffalo could witness up for 4 minutes or more of darkness in all 31 million us residents live in the path of the eclipse. Even if you don't live in the path of totality most of the US will experience some level of Darkness. 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