The Moon will be located on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and its face will be will be fully illuminated. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Worm Moon because this was the time of year when the ground would begin to soften and the earthworms would reappear. As the soil warms in spring, it invites robins and other birds to feed.
An alternative explanation for this name comes from Captain Jonathan Carver, an 18th-century explorer, who wrote that this Moon name refers to a different sort of “worm”—beetle larvae—which begin to emerge from the thawing bark of trees and other winter hideouts at this time. This moon has also been known as the Crow Moon, the Crust Moon, the Sap Moon, and the Lenten Moon.
There are quite a few names for the March Moon that speak to the transition from winter to spring. Some refer to the appearance (or reappearance) of certain animals, such as the Eagle Moon, Goose Moon (Algonquin, Cree), or Crow Comes Back Moon (Northern Ojibwe), while others refer to signs of the season: The Sugar Moon (Ojibwe) marks the time of year when the sap of sugar maples starts to flow; the Wind Strong Moon (Pueblo) refers to the strong windy days that come at this time of year; the Sore Eyes Moon (Dakota, Lakota, Assiniboine) highlights the blinding rays of sunlight that reflect off the melting snow of late winter.
Irene W. Pennington Planetarium 