A Blue Moon is a full moon that occurs in the same month that has previously had another full moon. A blue moon occurs once every two or three years but 2018 had two blue moons which were just two months apart. According to predictions, the next two blue moons in one year will appear in 2037.
The first full moon in October this year occurred on October 1 to be followed by another full moon on October 31. The Halloween full moon is a blue moon because it is the second full moon in the same month. The Halloween full blue moon is even more special because it will appear across every time zone in the world. It is the first blue moon to occur all over the world since 1944 during the Second World War. A full moon occurs on Halloween in some parts of the world every 19 years. So there will be a full moon on Halloween in 2039 and 2058.
The harvest moon, named by farmers who use it to harvest produce during fall, is the first full moon after fall. It will occur in October this year. Though it does not always occur in October since seasons change, it is the first full moon that occurs at the beginning of every fall. It started on September 22 this year. It occurs mostly in September, with two harvest moons every three years coming in September according to the Farmers Almanac.
If the harvest moon falls in September, the first full moon in October is referred to as the hunter’s moon. It is so-called because it was traditionally used by hunters to hunt for game in fields that had just been cleared by farmers who had used the harvest moon to harvest. The hunter’s moon is also known as “blood moon”. Some people suggest it is a result of the blood gotten from animals killed during the hunt. Others state that it is a result of the bright colors of leaves during fall.
Apart from the two full moons, October will also have three meteor showers. One of the meteors is known to spitfire. Both of the full moons in October will appear really large and orange. The Farmer’s Almanac describes this as a trick our brain plays on our eyes. This is because the moons hang very low and look bigger than usual.
The first meteor shower will run from October 6-10 but will appear more spectacularly in the evening on October 7. There are also going to be shooting stars during the meteor showers.
Source: jpost.com
