Rare 'Hunter's Blue Moon' Will Appear On Halloween's Night On Oct 31

This year’s October is a treat for sky grazers and more than any other celestial body, our very own Moon will be the source of enthrallment this time.?

This is because the month will observe the rare celestial event of a Blue Moon that will fall right on the night of October 31, i.e. Halloween.

NASA

While the name might hint at a Moon that has a Bluish hue to it, Blue Moon is in fact the second full moon within a month. The event occurs once every two or three years, with the last one being reported on March 31, 2018 and is hence the reason for the phrase - “Once in a Blue Moon.”

Interestingly, such a Blue Moon on a Halloween night is also known as the Hunter’s Moon and will hence add to the rarity of the phenomenon. The Hunter’s Blue Moon will follow the Harvest Moon, the first full moon that was observed this month on October 1.

An article by?Space.com?explains that as per the Algonquin Indian lore — the Hunters' Moon gets its name because of the hunters who tracked and killed their prey by autumn moonlight during such full moon nights. The hunt was then used to stockpile food for the coming winter.

As per a release by?NASA?"most Blue Moons look pale gray and white, indistinguishable from any other moon you've ever seen. Squeezing a second full moon into a calendar month doesn't change the physical properties of the moon itself, so the color remains the same."

A full moon rises next to Tokyo Skytree (Image: Reuters)

At times, however, the Moon does look Blue on a full moon night. Though it has more to do with atmospheric conditions at the time of the event than calendar date or time. As for the size, the Hunter’s Blue Moon will be slightly smaller than the supermoon observed back in April this year due to it being almost at the furthest point from Earth along its orbit.

The full moon on October 3 will rise around 8.15 pm IST and will be visible to all in India provided the weather is clear. Interestingly, it will be accompanied by another celestial body visible at the time - Earth’ closest neighbour Mars.

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