Rare Blue Moon to Light up the Sky on October 31, Making Halloween Night Extra Spooky | It's a Once-in-19-Years Experience

This Halloween is going to be extra special because even the universe is trying to make it unforgettable for you. Wonder why? It's because the sky is going to be graced with the rare Blue Moon on the night of Halloween.

According to CNN, the already spooky night is going to be spookier as a full moon will brighten the sky for the second time in a month, hence the phenomenon being termed blue moon. As cited by NASA's National Space Science Data Center, it's a rare occurrence that takes place only once every two and a half years on an average, and 2020 being strange enough, the occurrence of a blue moon makes it all more strange.

It's true that we get to see a full moon every month but this phenomenon of two in a month occurs almost every two to three years because the lunar cycle is not in sync with the calendar year.

Even though it's named as the blue moon, rest assured that you won't witness a "blue" moon. According to EarthSky, if you come across pictures where the moon illuminates a spectacular blue glow, most probably the picture has been altered with or the shot has been taken with a special blue camera filter. The moon takes on the blueish hue only in the events of major volcanic eruptions which fills the atmosphere with smoke or very large dust particles.

EarthSky also revealed that the idea of the blue moon comes from an article of Sky and Telescope magazine, issued in March 1946. In the article titled, Once in a Blue Moon, the writer James Hugh Pruett referred to the 1937 Maine Farmer’s Almanac but in a way that was easier for the people to understand. He penned, "Seven times in 19 years there were – and still are – 13 full moons in a year. This gives 11 months with one full moon each and one with two. This second in a month, so I interpret it, was called Blue Moon."

While the first full moon or the harvest moon will appear in the sky on the first day in the month of October, the second full moon, the blue moon will appear right on Halloween, October 31. It will also mark the first occurrence of the blue moon in America after March 2018, reported The Daily Mail.

This Halloween will also mark the first time that the blue moon will appear for all time zones after 1944. The last time people witnessed this rare occasion in the Central and Pacific time zones was back in 2001, reported Farmers' Almanac.

Halloween will also be a delight for stargazers across all countries because it seems to be a "once in a blue moon" kind of a situation. Along with the people of North and South America, those in India, Europe, and Asia will also be a witness to this rare occasion.

What makes it even more interesting is the fact that if you miss it this time, you would be able to see the Halloween blue moon next only on October 31 in 2039, because this cosmic display takes place on the night of Halloween only once every 19 years.

That's not it, this year you would witness 13 full moons which is another rare event because usually only 12 are seen every year. All of these things have got the people really excited about Halloween 2020. Pamela Uckermann wrote on Twitter, "Sounds about right for 2020...although it’s spooky even without the blue moon."

Another user Arcturus wrote, "The October 31 2020 Full moon is a blue moon. ‘Once in a blue moon’ I expect events to get stranger." So what are you guys waiting for? Get your werewolves, goblins, zombie costumes out. What? You're too old for costumes, oh come on. This Halloween is going to be historic, don't miss out on the fun!

References:

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/09/20/us/blue-moon-halloween-trnd/index.html

https://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2004/07jul_bluemoon/

https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/when-is-the-next-blue-moon

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-8745349/Stargazers-Halloween-treat-rare-Blue-Moon-October-31.html

https://www.farmersalmanac.com/blue-moon-supermoon-2020-104546