Purim, Holi, and a full supermoon on the Vernal Equinox

As I promised yesterday, the final post of the eighth year of this blog is about Purim on the Vernal Equinox.  Because Purim is celebrated during a full moon, it is also about a full moon coinciding with the equinox as well.  In addition, it's Holi, a celebration Kevin Robbins recommended I add to my calendar of celebrations two years ago.  I have a busy agenda for today's entry, so I'd better get writing!

First, Space.com gives the details about both astronomical events.

Wednesday (March 20) brings us the first full moon of the new spring season. The official moment that the moon will turn full is 9:43 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. Just 3 hours and 45 minutes earlier, the vernal equinox — the official start of astronomical spring — will occur.

Next, John Belski of WLKY explains the significance.

This is the closest the full moon has occurred this close to the equinox since 2000. The next time the full moon and equinox will occur less than a day apart will be in 2030.

That means the image I used to illustrate this entry is incorrect.  Darn.  Even so, it was the best one I could find.

Back to Belski.

For astronomy folks there is also a supermoon Wednesday evening. A supermoon is when the time of the moon's closest approach to the earth on it's monthly orbit happens during a full moon. This means the moon is larger and brighter than usual.

This is the third and last supermoon of 2019.

Three astronomical events at once!  The last time that happened was in 2015, when there was a supermoon solar eclipse on the Vernal Equinox.  That's would be a great way to close out the eighth year of the blog with a Happy arrival of astronomical Spring, but there's more.  Follow over the jump.

Because so many religious holidays are tied to the lunar calendar, this full moon also marks the date of Purim, so Happy Purim!  Have some hamentaschen (Hamen's pockets).


Now, to add Holi to the list of holidays I celebrate.  Watch Get an Up-Close Look at the Colorful Holi Festival | National Geographic.

See clouds of neon-colored powder envelop villages across India during Holi Festival. Each year, crowds gather to celebrate the beginning of spring with an explosion of color, traditional folk music, and more.

Kevin was right; this is a celebration I would enjoy, although I don't know if I'd like to wash the colored powder out of my clothes afterwards.

By the way, both Holi and Purim will be on the same days next year, March 9 and 10.  Another double celebration!

That's it for the eighth year of Crazy Eddie's Motie News.  Stay tuned for Nowruz and the birthday of both Twitter and this blog!