A rare blue moon is coming this Halloween - here's the best time to see it

29 October 2020, 10:50 | Updated: 30 October 2020, 20:43

By Naomi Bartram

@naomibartram

The Hunters Moon will be visible all across the world on October 31st this year.

Spooky season is well and truly upon us, with Halloween right around the corner.

And it’s time to get ready for something extraordinary to light up our skies this October 31, as there’s a full moon occurring in Taurus.

The extra special blue moon is perfect for all the witches and wizards out there as it is the second full moon we’ll experience this month, after the Harvest Moon on October 1.

Usually this only happens around every two or three years - hence the phrase 'once in a blue moon'.

A spokesman for NASA said: “According to modern folklore, a Blue Moon is the second full moon in a calendar month.

"Usually months have only one full moon, but occasionally a second one sneaks in."

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NASA added: “Full moons are separated by 29 days, while most months are 30 or 31 days long; so it is possible to fit two full moons in a single month. This happens every two and a half years, on average.”

In a rare treat, the 2020 Halloween full moon will be visible to the whole world for the first time since World War II.

If you want to get a good look at it, all you have to do is step outside and watch the sky - no equipment needed!

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The lunar event - also known as the Hunter’s Moon - will rise at exactly16:53 on Saturday, October 31st.

It will reach its highest point, called the zenith, in the late night and very early morning hours, but you will also catch a glimpse of it on the night before Halloween too.

So what could the blue moon mean for you? Well, senior astrologer for Astrology.com, Narayana Montúfar says they are the perfect time to get spooky.

She told Refinery 29: “Full moons have always been seen as moments in time in which the astrological energy comes to a climax.

“Since this moon is happening on Halloween and while the Sun is in Scorpio, a sign that is closely connected to the spiritual world, this blue moon is an obvious invitation to get super witchy!”

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