2020 has been an unusual year in many respects, with most of us wondering what on earth could happen next. Well, the next peculiarity 2020 has in store for us will certainly be visible from earth, but will actually occur in the night sky on October 31st - a Halloween blue moon.
A blue moon is a second full moon in a calendar month and it occurs about seven times every 19 years. The last time this phenomenon occurred on Halloween was in 1944 and according to NASA, the next Halloween blue moon won't be seen until 2039.
Although it's called a blue moon, the moon doesn't actually look blue. On the rare occasions that the moon does show a blue tinge, it's usually due to "particles thrown into the atmosphere by natural catastrophes" like volcanic eruptions says NASA.
Apart from this rare celestial spectacle, stargazers un Spain will also get a clear view of Uranus on the eve of All Saints Day. According to calculations made by the National Astronomical Observatory in Madrid from 16:55 hours on October 31st, we will be able to see the planet Uranus shining brighter in the sky than at any other time of the year.
2020 has really been a very special year for sky-watchers. This year we had 13 full moons including three super moons, four lunar eclipses as well as tomorrow's blue moon. The three super moons were seen in March, April and May.
Halloween comes around every year, but it's definitely 'once in a blue moon' this year.
