The first super moon of 2021 made a bold appearance as it rose above the eastern horizon at dusk Sunday evening.

“Super moons” are so named because they are full moons that occur when the moon’s elliptical orbit is closest to the earth.

This moon also is known by some Native American tribes as the Worm moon, because its arrival coincides with the appearance of earthworms in the spring.

Those who happened to be outside Sunday evening just at sunset would have been treated to the sight of the giant fiery orange orb as it rose over the horizon.

The dramatic reddish orange glow, which faded as the moon climbed higher into the sky, is a phenomena caused by the earth’s atmosphere being thickest at the horizon.

Shorter color waves such as blue are scattered by the atmosphere at that level, while longer wavelengths such as red or orange have no trouble reaching our eyes, scientists say.

The illusion of the moon’s impressive size also faded as it rose into the night sky.

In case you missed it, you’ll have three more super moon viewing opportunities this year: April 27’s “Pink Moon,” May 26’s “Flower Moon” and June 24’s “Strawberry Moon.”

The May 26 moon will be the closest and largest and also a rare total lunar eclipse visible to the western part of the country