On October 31, the Hunter’s Moon will peak in what is the second Full Moon of the month. The first Full Moon came on October 1 when the Harvest Moon rose.
As such, the second Full Moon in any given month is also known as a Blue Moon, due to a volcano eruption in the 1800s which gave the second Full Moon of a month a blue look.
The upcoming Full Moon will also be the first to rise of Halloween since 1944.
However, this Moon will also be what is known as a Micromoon.
What is a Micromoon?
A Micromoon is the exact opposite of a Super Moon.
Whereas a Super Moon is the closest the lunar satellite reaches in its orbit relative to Earth, a Micromoon is about as far out as a Full Moon drifts.
The Moon has an elliptical orbit, which means it drifts around out planet in an oval shape.
As such, the distance of the Moon from Earth varies, and during a Micromoon, it is farther than 405,000 kilometres (251,655 miles) from the centre of Earth.
A Supermoon on the other hand is is less than 360,000 kilometres (223,694 miles) from the centre of Earth.
So the October 31 may look slightly smaller than normal – in fact it is 14 percent smaller than a Super Moon.
According to Time and Date, this can affect the tides here on Earth.
It said: “The greatest difference between high and low tide is around Full Moon and New Moon.
“During these Moon phases, the gravitational forces of the Moon and the Sun combine to pull the ocean’s water in the same direction. These tides are known as spring tides or king tides.
“Micromoons lead to around 5 cm (2 inches) smaller variation than regular spring tides, called apogean spring tides.”
DON’T MISS
Blue Moon meaning: What is a Blue Moon?
Full Moon effects on mood: How will Halloween’s Blue Moon affect you?
Full Moon horoscope: How will the Halloween Blue Moon affect you?
What are the full moons of 2020?
January 10 – Full Wolf Moon
February 9 – Full Snow Moon
March 9 – Full Worm Moon
April 8 – Full Pink Moon
May 7 – Full Flower Moon
June 5 – Full Strawberry Moon
July 5 – Full Buck Moon
August 3 – Full Sturgeon Moon
September 2 – Full Corn Moon
October 1 – Full Hunter’s Moon
October 31 – Blue Moon
November 30 – Full Beaver’s Moon
December 30 – Full Cold Moon
Source: Read Full Article