A RARE Blue Moon is about to take to the sky just in time for Halloween.
It’s the first time a full Moon will be visible on Halloween eve across the whole world since 1944, weather depending.
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Unfortunately, its name has nothing to do with its colour and the Moon should just look pearly grey.
A Blue Moon refers to the very rare occasion when a full Moon appears for the second time in the same month.
This year we had a full Moon on October 1 called the Harvest Moon.
Nasa previously explained: “According to modern folklore, a Blue Moon is the second full Moon in a calendar month.
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“Usually months have only one full Moon, but occasionally a second one sneaks in.
“Full Moons are separated by 29 days, while most months are 30 or 31 days long; so it is possible to fit two full moons in a single month.
“This happens every two and a half years, on average.”
Weather permitting you should be able to see it in all its bright glory after nightfall but try to avoid light polluted areas.
It’s also being referred to by some as the ‘Hunter’s Blue Moon’ because it appears around the time that Native American tribes would gather meat for the winter ahead.
And, as if this Moon didn’t have enough names already, it will also be a technically be a Micromoon.
A Micromoon is the opposite of a Supermoon and means that the Moon will look a bit smaller than the average full Moon.
In fact, the Moon will be around 31,000 miles further away tomorrow than it would be during a Supermoon.
The different types of moons
Here are some of the most interesting moon phases and when to see them…
A Blue Moon refers to the occasion when a full Moon appears for the second time in the same month, this is very rare and the next Blue Moon should occur on Halloween in 2020.
The Harvest Moon appears around the time of the autumnal equinox when farmers tend to do their main crop harvesting.
A Supermoon appears when it is at its closest point to Earth and therefore at its brightest, the next one will appear in September.
A Blood Moon occurs during a total lunar eclipse, the next one should happen in May 2020.
Each month of the year actually has its own special full moon phenomenon, they are as follows:
- January: Wolf Moon
- February: Snow Moon
- March: Worm Moon
- April: Pink Moon
- May: Flower Moon
- June: Strawberry Moon
- July: Buck Moon
- August: Sturgeon Moon
- September: Full Corn Moon
- October: Hunter’s Moon
- November: Beaver Moon
- December: Cold Moon.
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Will you be stargazing on Halloween? Let us know in the comments…
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This post first appeared on Thesun.co.uk
