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There are two different definitions for a Blue Moon. A seasonal Blue Moon is the third Full Moon of an astronomical season that has four Full Moons. A monthly Blue Moon is the second Full Moon in a calendar month with two Full Moons. The Full Moon on October 31, 2020 is a monthly Blue Moon. October's first Full Moon, and this year's Harvest Moon, was on October 1, 2020.


The historical origins of the term and its two definitions are shrouded in a bit of mystery and, by many accounts, an interpretation error. Some believe that the term “blue moon” meaning something rare may have originated from when smoke and ashes after a volcanic eruption turned the Moon blue. Others trace the term's origin to over 400 years ago—folklorist Philip Hiscock has suggested that invoking the Blue Moon once meant that something was absurd and would never happen.

The definition of a seasonal Blue Moon, the third Full Moon in an astronomical season with four Full Moons, can be traced back to the now-defunct Maine Farmer's Almanac. According to the Almanac, the appearance of a 13th Full Moon in a year ‘upset the arrangement of Church festivals.’ The unlucky status of the number 13 and the difficulties of calculating the occurrence of such a Full Moon led to the extra Full Moon being named a Blue Moon.

The more popular definition of the Blue Moon, that of the second Full Moon in a month, owes its existence to a misinterpretation originally made by amateur astronomer James Hugh Pruett (1886–1955) in a 1946 edition of Sky & Telescope magazine. The error took on a life of its own and spread around as fact. It even found its way into the answers of the 1986 version of the board game Trivial Pursuit! Today, this definition is considered a second definition of the Blue Moon rather than a mistake.

For a monthly Blue Moon to take place, a Full Moon must occur at the beginning of the month. This is because the time between two successive Full Moons is approximately 29.5 days, just short of most months in the Gregorian Calendar.

Seasonal Blue Moons take place slightly less frequently than monthly Blue Moons—in the 1100 years between 1550 and 2650, there are 408 seasonal Blue Moons and 456 monthly Blue Moons. This means that either type of Blue Moon occurs roughly every two or three years.

Blue Moons that are blue are incredibly rare and have nothing to do with the calendar or the Moon's phases but are instead a result of atmospheric conditions. Volcanic ashes and smoke, water droplets in the air, or certain types of clouds can all contribute to a Full Moon taking on a blue shade on rare occasions.

A Blue Moon on October 31 or Halloween night occurs almost every 19 years, thanks to the Metonic cycle, so it is not very rare. But because of time zones, not every location on the globe gets to enjoy it at the same time. Some parts of the United States, for instance, haven't seen a Halloween Blue Moon since 2001, while others haven't seen one since 1955!

The Moon reaches its various phases at specific moments. But because of time zones, the local time of a Full Moon can differ from one location to another. For instance, the Blue Moon in October 2020 takes place at 14:49 UTC on October 31. Locations in time zones that are at least 9:15 hours ahead of UTC will have their Full Moon take place on November 1, 2020 and unfortunately, will not be able to enjoy a Blue Moon on Halloween night. The Moon will, however, still look full and bright for them on October 31, 2020. They will also have a Blue Moon in November.

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