The moon is giving stargazers a treat on Halloween night with a Blue Moon that will be visible across all times zones.
Our lunar neighbor will not shine blue, but the name is given because it is the second full moon to appear in the same month – the first occurs October 1.
The cosmic display happens seven times every 19 years, which means the world will not see the next one on October 31 until 2039.
What makes this event even rarer is that it will be seen in all parts of the world for the first time since World War II.
Space is going to setup a spooky scene for trick-or-treaters this Halloween with a second full moon in October falling on Halloween night.
The moon will not be blue unfortunately and it is safe to assume that pictures with the color were altered or shot with a special blue camera filter, EarthSky reports.
However, it should make for a spectacular show on Halloween that will be visible all across the globe, which has not happened since 1944.
People in North and South America will have a glimpse of the Blue Moon, along with those in India, Europe and Asia.
Our lunar neighbor will not shine blue, but the name is given because it is the second full moon to appear in the same month – the first occurs October 1. The moon will not be blue unfortunately and it is safe to assume that pictures with the color were altered or shot with a special blue camera filter
The idea of a Blue Moon as the second full moon in a month comes from an article in the March 1946 issue of Sky and Telescope magazine, EarthSky reports.
This issue published an an article called Once in a Blue Moon by James Hugh Pruett, who referred to the 1937 Maine Farmer’s Almanac, but with a simpler definition.
‘Seven times in 19 years there were – and still are – 13 full moons in a year,’ he wrote.
‘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.’
A moon can turn blue, but the signing is very rare.
EarthSky notes that sky conditions must align perfectly and contain large particles of dust or smoke to reflect a hue – making it unpredictable to know when one will rise.
Altogether, there will be 13 full moons in 2020, another rarity because most years only see 12.