“Rare” Full Moon To Occur On Halloween For First Time Since 1944

Joel Kowsky / NASA

Two full moons will appear in the night sky during the month of October which only happens about once every three years.

The first full moon nicknamed the “Harvest Moon,” will be shining on Thursday, October 1, 2020, and the other — known as a “Blue Moon” because it’s the second full moon during the same calendar month — will be glowing in the sky on Saturday, October 31, 2020.

The Harvest Moon is one of the smallest full moons of the year, known as a “Micro-Full Moon.” These are small in comparison to the huge-looking supermoons, where the moon appears much larger than usual.

According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac,  for several evenings, the moonrise comes soon after sunset. This results in an abundance of bright moonlight early in the evening, which traditionally aided farmers and crews harvesting their summer-grown crops.

The next Full Moon, known as the Hunter’s Moon, is also a blue moon, thanks to the fact that it’s the second such event in a single month. The best part about this lunar event is that it lands on October 31, 2020. A Full Moon occurring on Halloween is not a common occurrence and only happens once every 18 to 19 years. The last Full Moon that landed on Halloween was back in 2001. The name Hunter’s Moon is derived from the time of the month when the game is fattened, hunted, slaughtered, and preserved for use in the coming winter months.

According to CNN, “While a Blue Moon seems rare, a Full Moon on Halloween across time zones is even more rare — an event that hasn’t occurred since 1944.” 

For more on October’s lunar events, watch the video below.