Not only is this Saturday Halloween, but a rare Blue Moon will light up the night’s sky. A blue moon does not always appear to be blue in the sky, but rather when it occurs.
As many know, a full moon usually occurs once a month and when 13 full moons occur in one year instead of the normal 12, that is considered to be a blue moon. There are two types of blue moons, a full moon can be considered blue when it is the second of two full moons in a month, or when it is the third of four full moons in a single season.
This October’s blue moon will not necessarily appear blue in the night sky to us, but it does not mean that it is not possible. According to research, a moon can appear blue in shade if the atmosphere is filled with smoke particles or dust of a certain size.
This blue moon will be a monthly blue moon. There was a full moon on October 1st of this month and now October 31st. Since this October has two full moons, the latter one is considered to be a blue moon. Many considered this event to be rare since the last blue moon on Halloween night in all time zones was in 1944, and in Central and Pacific time zones was 2001, according to the Farmers’ Almanac.
When the phrase “once in a blue moon” was coined, it meant something so rare that you would be lucky to see it in your lifetime, according to NASA.
