A Rare Hunter’s Blue Moon Will Happen on Halloween, but How Rare Is It?
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 this Saturday is a night you'll want to look in the sky to see a pretty cool lunar event. 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. According to the Farmer's Almanac a Halloween full moon is pretty rare, as it only occurs every 18-19 years. So while we see many photos of full moons on Halloween, it's not a common event.
Even spookier will be the Halloween moon in 2024, as that will be a new moon. The moon on that night will only be about 0-1% illuminated meaning it's going to be an extra spooky Halloween because it will be really dark outside.
Either way, stay safe, and have a Happy Halloween, don't forget to snap a photo or two of the rare Hunter's Blue Moon! You won't see a Halloween full moon for another 18 years.
Source: Farmer's Almanac