This year’s spooky celebration is going to be a “once in a blue moon” experience as a rare blue moon will light up the skies on October 31 this year.

According to NASA, a blue moon only takes place every two and a half to three years. That makes Halloween in 2020 even more special!

A full moon will occur on October 1 and October 31, 2020

The first full moon (also known as the Harvest Moon) will rise at the beginning of the month, while the second full moon (known as the Blue Moon), will take place on the 31st.

Assuming that the weather’s going to be clear on Halloween, observing the blue moon with a telescope could be a fun way to celebrate while staying at home amid pandemic.

A moon isn’t called “Blue” because of its hue, but rather when it occurs

Unlike every other moon you’ve ever seen, most blue moons look light gray and white according to NASA. They state that squeezing a second full moon within a single month will not alter the moon’s physical properties. Thus, its color remains unchanged.

There will be times, however, when the moon does look blue. But it has something to do with atmospheric conditions.

A moon may appear blue if the atmosphere is filled with dust or smoke particles of a certain size, according to timeanddate. Therefore, a massive volcanic eruption can make the moon look blue.

A perfect example would be Mt. St. Helens eruption in the U.S. (1980), the Mt. Krakatoa eruption in Indonesia (1983), and the Mount Pinatubo eruption in the Philippines (1991).

There won’t be another blue Moon falling exactly on Halloween until 2039

According to AccuWeather meteorologist Brian Lada, the next blue moon will rise on Halloween night of 2039, so make sure that you don’t miss it!

Want to know where you can do holiday parties? Read ”Where to Celebrate 2021 Holiday Parties” to learn more.