October has two full moons, and the first one took place on October 1, while the second one occurs on October 31 – Halloween. Because of time zone differences, in eastern Australia and New Zealand, this full moon falls on November 1. Thus, it is the first of two November 2020 full moons there. Halloween is also the fourth and final cross-quarter day of 2020 – the spookiest of the four. It was previously known as All Hallows Eve and to us in North America as Halloween. The second of two full moons in one calendar month is widely known as the Blue Moon. Therefore, this Halloween we will have a Blue Moon, but there’s more! On this year’s Halloween, bright red Mars will appear close to the full moon in the sky. Now, it is past its nearest approach to Earth in 2 years. Blue Moon. Red Mars. Doesn’t it sound spectacular? However, the full moon won’t actually be blue in color, only in name. It is definitely something that you don’t want to miss! The next full moon to fall on … [Read more...]
The Closest New Moon
This month, October 2020, looks pretty exciting. On October 16, we will be able to see the closest and biggest new moon this year. But, that’s not all! The Blue Moon, near red Mars, is this year’s farthest and smallest full moon, coming on Halloween (October 31, 2020). You don’t want to miss the Halloween Blue Moon (blue in name only) near Mars - it is going to be interesting to see. In the meantime, we won't be able to see the October 16 new moon, the closest new moon of 2020, and therefore a supermoon. We rarely see a new moon, except when there's an eclipse). That happens because it's the moon phase that's closest to the Earth and the sun for any given month. New moons move across the sky with the sun all day, hidden in the light of the sun. The number of new moons this year is 12, but the moon this October arrives just about 4 hours before the moon moves to the lunar perigee: the closest point of the moon to Earth in its monthly path. New moon: October 16 at 19:31 UTC … [Read more...]
Unreal Full Harvest Moon On The 1st 2nd Of October
There will be two full moons in October 2020 – the first one will appear on October 1 or 2, 2020. It depends on which part of the world you live in. This full moon is called Harvest Moon in the Northern Hemisphere and counts as autumn’s first full moon. Moreover, it is spring’s first full for the Southern Hemisphere. Regardless of where you live, expect a full-looking moon to brighten up the sky from dusk till dawn within the next few nights. Furthermore, that bright red “star” close to the moon is not a star at all. It is the red planet – Mars. A season is described as the time span between the equinox and the solstice, or vice versa. Usually, one season has 3 full moons, and in 2020 the season between the fall 2020 equinox and the winter 2020 solstice brings the usual three full moons. September 2020 equinox: September 22 at 13:31 UTCFull moon: October 1 at 21:05 UTC (Harvest Moon)Full moon: October 31 at 14:49 UTC (monthly Blue Moon)Full moon: November 30 at 9:30 UTCDecember … [Read more...]