October 12 (India Today) – A rare Blue Moon will be spotted in the sky on October 31, that is, on Halloween this year. It is being called a Blue Moon because it will be the second of two full Moons to occur in a single calendar month. The last Blue Moon by this definition of the term happened on March 31, 2018.
However, the last time the Blue Moon was spotted on Halloween day, that is, October 31, was in the year 1944.
According to a report in CNET, in a rare treat, the 2020 Halloween full moon will be visible to the entire world, rather than just parts of it, for the first time since World War II.
What is a blue moon?
According to NASA.gov, a Blue Moon is the second full moon in a calendar month. Usually, months have only one full moon, but occasionally a second one sneaks in. 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.
Will the Blue Moon really be blue?
According to NASA.gov, probably not. Contrary to its name, a Blue Moon usually looks like it would on any other day. The date of a full moon, all by itself, doesn’t affect the moon’s color. The moon on October 31 will be pearly-gray, as usual. However, there was a time, not long ago, when people saw blue moons almost every night. Full moons, half moons, crescent moons–they were all blue, except some nights when they were green.
