There is no denying that Halloween will be looking a little different this year. With Covid-19 and everyone social distancing, it makes it difficult for children to trick-or-treat and cancels annual halloween party plans. On top of all of this, a spooky spectacle will appear in the sky, a rare second-in-the-month full moon. 

The full moon that will emerge on October 31st is called the “blue moon.” It’s the second full moon of the same month, following the harvest moon on October 1st. Blue Moons are caused by the build-up of smoke and dust particles, and they have to be about 900 nanometers. And to make it even more exciting and eerie, the Halloween 2020 blue moon will be visible to the entire world for the first time since World War II. 

The “once in a blue moon” phrase doesn’t completely mean that the moon will look blue on Halloween night. Yes, the dark blue sky might affect the way our eyes see, but when picked up on Earth’s satellites, it won’t be blue at all. Nevertheless, the moon will still be a sight to behold on All Hallows Eve. The mysterious blue moon turns full at 10:49 a.m EDT on October 31st, making this a super fun rare treat.

Fun fact: Scientists have discovered that roughly every 19 years a rare Blue Moon will appear on Halloween night. It’s been said that the next Halloween full moon will be in the years 2039, 2058, 2077, and 2096. The good news is that even if the moon isn’t completely full on All Hallows Eve, it will still serve its purpose for a spooky and chilling backdrop. 

Halloween is often associated with ghostly full moons in spirit, but it’s not very often that a full moon, especially a blue moon, will actually happen on the holiday. This Halloween 2020, enjoy the spooky dissonance of the Blue Moon, the last full moon to fall on All Hallows Eve until October 31, 2039! What a real treat!