The Blue Moon

This Halloween, the skies will be lit by a rare blue moon for the first time since 1944. The blue moon will also overlap with the hunters’ moon, making the event even more special. 

A blue moon is the name given to the second full moon in a singular calendar month. Unlike the name implies, a blue moon is not actually blue. It is incredibly rare and the next time it happens on Halloween, it will be 2039. 

The official NASA website states, “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.”

There are several myths and legends about the blue moon, spanning across many cultures and religions. A Welsh tradition says that if someone dies on a blue moon, three more deaths will follow. Other people believe that picking flowers during a blue moon will cause good luck in love and good fortune. 

The hunters’ moon is the name given to the first full moon after the harvest moon, which happened on October 1st. It was the night where hunters would use the moonlight to hunt and prepare for winter. 

“There are prolonged periods of light during this time of the year, which is the reason why these moons have traditionally been used by hunters and farmers to finish their work,” writer for Universe Today, Matt Williams, said. 

For anyone interested in astronomy, or just looking at the night sky in general, the Blue Moon on Halloween is a celestial event not to be missed.