A Rare Full-Hunter’s Blue Moon Happens on Halloween This Year
Not only are we set to have a full moon on Halloween, we're set to have a rare full Hunter's Blue Moon. I'm not sure if this is good luck or bad luck? Either way it's 2020 so anything is possible at this point.
According to the Farmer's Almanac Halloween 2020 is a night you'll want to look in the sky. They say a blue moon isn't actually blue, it's the term for when there's two full moons in one month. You know the phrase "once in a blue moon?" This is where that phrase comes from as blue moons typically only happen ever 2.5 to 3 years. So of course we'd have a blue moon on Halloween in 2020! It's only appropriate.
While blue moons aren't super uncommon, there's another reason Halloween's full moon will be rare is a Halloween full moon hasn't happened in all time zones since 1944. Here's what the Farmer's Almanac says about the rarity of the Hunter's Blue Moon on Halloween:
And, when a month has two full Moons, as is the case for October 2020 (we’ll have a full Moon on October 1st, which will be the Harvest Moon, and again on October 31st), the second full Moon is referred to as a "Blue Moon." That means the October 31st full Moon will not only be the Hunter's Moon, but a Halloween full Hunter’s Blue Moon in all time zones.
So when is the next time we will see a full moon on Halloween? We're going to have to wait another 18 years for that, as the next Halloween full moon will happen in 2039. The Farmer's Almanac has the answer for that too!
According to astronomers, we will all see a 100%-illuminated Halloween full Moon (after 2020) in the years 2039, 2058, 2077, and 2096 (note the 19-year pattern). The good news is that even if the Moon is a day or two away from 100% full on any particular Halloween, it can still serve the purpose for a spooky backdrop since most people can’t tell the difference between a 98% illuminated Moon and a 100% "full" Moon (Cases in point: November 2, 2029, and October 30, 2031). Plan your costumes accordingly
So be prepared for an ultra spooky Halloween this year! If you want to read more about the rare moon we're having on Halloween, you can read the full article from Farmer's Almanac, here.