Extra Spooky Halloween - Perfect for 2020!

We can probably all agree that 2020 has been an unusual year, so in typical 2020 fashion Halloween night will also be unique. Aside from the expected changes, such as families steering away from typical trick-or-treating plans, Halloween night will offer and extra spooky sky due to a rare lunar event — and it only happens “once in a blue moon.”

According to Farmer’s Almanac, a full moon on Halloween only happens every 18 to 19 years. For this reason, when a full moon lands on October 31, Halloween and astrology lovers near and far get pretty geeked. And, when that full moon is, a blue moon, the excitement only increases. This, of course, means that Halloween 2020 is one for the record books, in more ways than one.

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.

Whenever two full Moons appear in a single month (occurring typically every 2 1/2 to 3 years), the second full Moon is coined a “Blue Moon.”

A full Moon on Halloween occurs roughly once every 19 years! In 2001, ghosts and goblins in the Central and Pacific time zones trick-or-treated under a full Moon, but a Halloween full Moon hadn’t appeared for everyone in all time zones since 1944!

When is the Next Halloween Full Moon?

2096 Astronomers have found that the frequency of this phenomenon occurring on a specific date is twice within any 59 year period.

After 2020, we will next see a 100%-illuminated Halloween full moon in the years 2039, 2058, 2077 and 2096. 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!

« Return to "Blog"