The so-called ‘harvest moon’ (closest to the autumnal equinox, which is usually in September) this year occurred in October, coinciding with the first day of this month. But in a year as unusual as 2020, the terrestrial satellite is also the protagonist of a rare phenomenon: instead of 12 full moons, it will have 13.
So a month will have two full moons, just the one that has just begun. The second full moon in October can be observed on the 31st, Halloween.
The “additional” full moon of Halloween will also be the “hunter’s moon,” so named because, once past harvest, hunters in the northern hemisphere used to wait for the next to hunt prey and prepare for winter.
They refer to the one of this October 31 also as the blue moon. Not because it will turn that color, but because it is the second to occur within the same month. The previous one occurred on March 31, 2018.
For sky watchers At night, this week there will also be another point of special interest: Mars will be at its closest point to Earth, this October 6, which will allow greater visibility of the red planet. It will be 62,099,460 kilometers from Earth and will only be that close again in the year 2035.
What is a blue moon?
The term ‘Blue Moon’ describes two phenomena that can coincide, as on this occasion.
The first, already described: the second full moon that occurred within the same month (occurs more or less every two years). The second phenomenon refers to the third or fourth full moon that occurs in a single season. Under this concept, the next one will be on August 22 of next year. But this year, both coincide on the night of what is also known in Colombia as “Witches’ Day” and also in a year of 13 full moons.