A Rare Blue Moon Is Coming on Halloween
You'll want to notice the sky on Halloween night this year because it could be a little extra spooky. And, all those things you said would happen "once in a blue moon," will have a good chance of coming to fruition.
If you only eat sushi "once in a blue moon," make plans for some sashimi. The blue moon is about to get real.
A Blue Moon happens once every two or three years, and it's on track to light up the sky on Halloween night. Of course, it is. Because it's 2020 and strange things are happening.
Maybe the strangest thing is that blue moons aren't actually blue, but instead, they're kind of grayish, according to NASA. And they come around once every couple of years. A full moon only falls on Halloween once every 19 years, according to The Old Farmer's Almanac.
A blue moon can either happen when there are two full moons in a single calendar month, or when it’s the third or fourth full moon in a single season, according to Earth Sky.
The blue moon that's coming on October 31st will be a monthly one, and scientists say it's a pretty rare occurrence as a full moon typically occurs every 29 days, and that usually leaves room for just one full moon per month. Any other year, we might be surprised by strange happenings like this. But it's 2020 and nothing shocks us anymore.
If you miss Halloween's blue moon, you'll have to wait for the next one on August 22, 2021.