Supermoon of worms shines in the sky 0:44
(CNN) ––
A little heavenly good luck probably helped engineers successfully refloat the gigantic container ship that blocked the Suez Canal for nearly a week.
Sunday's so-called super worm moon triggered a higher spring tide (or spring tide): 46 centimeters above normal on Monday, according to NASA.
That tide made it easier to straighten and unblock the large ship, the agency added.
Chaos in the Suez Canal could disrupt the supply of goods in the coming months
Spring tides are a historical term for when tides "rise" during new and full moons, according to the National Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Although there are 12 to 13 full moons in a year, between six and eight are related to a tide high enough to achieve what was done on Monday, because the moon is closer to Earth during those full moons, explained the CNN meteorologist Judson Jones.
"It is not uncommon for these tides to be 300 meters higher than other high tides during the year, when the moon is farthest from Earth," Jones said.
"There is no doubt that these high tides were part of the strategy to unblock such a massive ship," he added.
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This satellite image was taken on Monday, March 29, after the ship broke loose.
(Credit: European Space Imaging)
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A group of children celebrate the release of the container ship Ever Given in the Suez Canal on Monday, March 29.
(Credit: Ahmad Hassan / AFP / Getty Images)
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Tugboats accompany the container ship Ever Given as it proceeds through the canal on Monday, March 29.
(Credit: Suez Canal Authority / AP)
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A group of people look at Ever Given on Monday.
(Credit: Mahmoud Khaled / Getty Images)
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This satellite image shows how the ship was stuck in the Suez Canal on Sunday.
(Credit: Maxar Technologies / AP)
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Tugboats attempt to unblock the ship on Sunday.
(Credit: Suez Canal Authority / EPA-EFA / Shutterstock)
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Workers try to unlock the ship on Sunday.
(Credit: Suez Canal Authority / EPA-EFA / Shutterstock)
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A tugboat operates the Ever Given on Sunday.
(Credit: Suez Canal Authority / EPA-EFA / Shutterstock)
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A nighttime shot of Ever Given on Saturday March 27th.
(Credit: Fadell Dawod / picture alliance / Getty Images)
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Ships remained anchored outside the Suez Canal in Egypt on Thursday.
The boats could not pass since the Ever Given blocked the route.
(Credit: Khaled Elfiqi / EPA-EFE / Shutterstock)
Those six to eight full moons are called supermoons because they appear larger and brighter in the sky.
March's supermoon was the first of the year and was expected to be the fourth brightest moon of 2021.
Native tribes in the southern U.S. call the March full moon the worm moon because earthworms, the soil that worms digest, become visible as the soil melts around this time of the year. anus.
Traffic resumed in both directions of the Suez Canal overnight on Monday, after tugs spent several hours working to free the bow of the container ship Ever Given.
Impacts of the blockade on the Suez Canal just begin 2:47
The successful refloating of the vessel was greeted with triumph and relief.
Meanwhile, hundreds of boats that have been trapped in the shipping route since March 23 are preparing to restart their trips.
The challenge now is dealing with the delay and congestion of the ships, which, working day and night, could take more than three days to solve.
Super moon
