October 2020 Is About to Be Spookier Than Usual Thanks to TWO Full Moons
Halloween is often associated with spooky full moons in spirit, but it's not often that a full moon actually happens on the holiday.
Halloween 2020, however, will see not just a full moon, but a rare blue moon.
Halloween 2020 is going to be one for the history (and astrology!) books! Not only will we experience the annual "harvest moon" on October 1, but we'll also be treated to a particularly spooky sky on Halloween night.
According to Farmer’s Almanac, a full moon on Halloween only happens once in a blue moon—every 18 to 19 years, to be exact. For this reason, when a full moon lands on October 31, Halloween and astrology lovers near and far get pretty excited. And, when that full moon is, quite literally, a blue moon, the excitement only increases. This, of course, means that Halloween 2020 is about to be one of the best Halloweens to date.
What Is a Blue Moon?
While the name itself might make you think you’re going to see a blue-tinted moon in the sky, a blue moon is actually more about when it occurs than its actual appearance.
If you’re a fan of astrology, you likely know that full moons happen once a month, with the lunar cycle being 29 days long. Since most months are longer than 29 days, there’s a chance that two full moons could happen in the same calendar month. When this happens, it’s called a blue moon.
According to Earth Sky, there are two types of blue moons: monthly and seasonal. If there are two full moons in a month, it’s a monthly blue moon; if it’s the third of four full moons in a season, it’s a seasonal blue moon.
Halloween 2020 Blue Moon
There’s no better way to celebrate October and all of it’s spooky, ghoulishly-good fun than by kicking off and ending the month with a full moon. Where the first of the month will witness a stunning harvest moon (the name given to the full moon closest to the autumnal equinox on September 22), the 31st will see its first Halloween blue moon since 2001. Needless to say, you won’t want to miss it. After all, the next time you can expect a full moon on Halloween is in 2039!
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