Rare Blue Moon on Halloween: What Does It Mean?

The rare blue moon will make this year's Halloween something different. This will be visible across the globe on Oct. 31 and what does this mean?  

This is the second time that the world will witness the rare blue moon since World War II. This will be visible across the globe not just a small part of the world. This is called the blue moon because it is the second full moon of the month. The first one happened on Oct. 1 and it was called a blood moon or a harvest moon.

 According to EarthSky.org, it won't actually be blue unless there are dust and smoke particles of a certain size, which can scatter red light and make the moon take on a bluish hue. It is not literally blue, it is just that this is the second full moon that falls in the same month which is very rare to happen. 

This will make this year's Halloween creepy. The full moon is expected to be visible around 10:49 a.m. on Oct. 31 which is visible across the globe. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for everyone because this phenomenon will happen on Aug. 30, 2023. 

However, what makes this day something special is that Full Moons during Halloween are even rarer. According to a published report in The New York Post, this only happens every 18 or 19 years as reported in the Old Farmer's Almanac reported. The report also added that the second full moon is called the hunter's blue moon. 

In the Celtics tradition, Halloween was the day that spirits of the dead wandered around in the moonlight. This means that this year's Halloween will be something very creepy because of the rare Full Moon. A phenomenon that first happened since World War II.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration or NASA scientists said that the discovery of more water on its surface than previously thought is a breakthrough. They also said that this confirms that the moon could be a good resource for human beings. 

Moreover, this year's Halloween full moon will be visible in all parts of the globe, that doesn't mean every single citizen will have a view. Residents across both North America and South America will see it, as well as Africa, all of Europe, and much of Asia. But while Western Australians will see it, those in the central and eastern parts of the country will not. 

Astronomy educator and former planetarium director Jeffrey Hunt told the CNET that "When the moon is photographed with a smartphone the results can be disappointing. A telephoto attachment will help make the moon larger." 

He also added that everyone should know the time zone as when it will be visible. "Every time zone has it except that east of (GMT) +8 time zones if they have daylight time, or (GMT) +9 with no daylight time," Jeffrey Hunt continued. 

"Of course, full moons occur in October during the intervening years, just not on Halloween," Hunt asserted. This a once in a lifetime to see a very rare full moon.