THE UK is treated to the spectacular sight of a full Moon on a special night of every month.
October 1 saw a gorgeous Corn Moon lighting up British skies to mark the end of summer – but when can we expect the next one?
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When’s the next full moon in 2020?
The next full Moon will be the Blue Moon on October 31.
That means you should be able to spot it on Saturday.
Unfortunately, its name has nothing to do with its colour and the Moon should just look pearly grey.
A Blue Moon refers to the very rare occasion when a full Moon appears for the second time in the same month.
This year we had a full Moon on October 1 called the Harvest Moon.
Nasa previously explained: “According to modern folklore, a Blue Moon is the second full Moon in a calendar month.
“Usually months have only one full Moon, but occasionally a second one sneaks in.
“Full Moons are separated by 29 days, while most months are 30 or 31 days long; so it is possible to fit two full moons in a single month.
“This happens every two and a half years, on average.”
Weather permitting you should be able to see it in all its bright glory after nightfall but try to avoid light polluted areas.
It’s being referred to by some as the ‘Hunter’s Blue Moon’ because it appears around the time that Native American tribes would gather meat for the winter ahead.
When are all the full Moons of 2020?
JANUARY 2020: Wolf Moon
The first Moon of 2020 was a Wolf Moon.
It’s called this as wolves can be heard howling in America.
It was spotted in the sky on January 10 from 5.08pm and ended at roughly 9.12pm.
The best time to view it was 7.21pm.
This year the Wolf Moon was also a penumbral lunar eclipse.
FEBRUARY 2020: Super Snow Moon
The second full Moon of the year was the Super Snow Moon on February 9.
The Moon is named after America’s snowy season.
Some call it the Hunger Moon, because of the difficult hunting conditions at this time.
In 2020 it was also a Supermoon meaning it is “a new or full Moon which occurs with the Moon at or near (within 90 per cent of) its closest approach to Earth in a given orbit”.
MARCH 2020: Super Worm Moon
This particular spectacle has many names – and can also be known as the Sap Moon, Crow Moon or Lenten Moon.
It fell on March 9 this year, and was best viewed at 5.47pm and was the second consecutive Supermoon of the year.
APRIL 2020: Super Pink Moon
Despite its name, it isn’t a pink coloured Moon.
This spectacle is named after the wildflowers which grow in the United States and Canada in the spring.
It’s also known as the Egg Moon or Fish Moon, because of the shad fish that swim upstream at this time of year.
This Moon is particularly important because it is the Paschal Moon – the first full Moon since the spring equinox on March 20.
This Moon is used to fix the date of Easter, which falls on the first Sunday after the Pink Moon, and marks the start of the Jewish Passover.
The Supermoon fell on April 8. Easter then followed on Sunday, April 12.
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MAY 2020: Super Flower Moon
This Moon fell on Thursday, May 7, and signifies the blooming of flowers and the variety that bare their petals in May – it is also known as Corn Planting Moon and Milk Moon.
It is the fourth consecutive Supermoon in 2020.
Although Brits and Americans will see it, the Moon hits its peak during daylight hours.
It is expected at 11.45am UK time and 6.45am ET.
JUNE 2020: Strawberry Moon
This Moon gets its name as it is the time the fruit ripens.
This year it will be on June 5 and will feature the second penumbral lunar eclipse of the year.
It’s best viewed at 8.12pm.
Other names for it are Hot Moon, Mead Moon and Rose Moon.
JULY 2020: Thunder Moon
Also known as the Buck Moon, as new antlers emerge from bucks’ foreheads around this time of the year.
It is named after the thunderstorms which typically fall during this month.
It will be on July 5 at 5.44am, and will see yet another penumbral lunar eclipse.
AUGUST 2020: Sturgeon Moon
Native Americans named this Moon after the large number of sturgeon fish in the lakes at this time.
It’s also known as the Green Corn Moon, Barley Moon, Fruit Moon or Grain Moon and will rise on August 3.
SEPTEMBER 2020: Corn Moon
The Corn Moon is often replaced by the Harvest Moon.
This is when the September Moon is close to the equinox.
As it falls early in the month, on the second, the September Moon is the Corn Moon in 2020.
It is also known as the Barley Moon as this is the time of year when corn or barley is harvested.
You can see it at 6.22am.
OCTOBER 2020: Harvest Moon
There are two full moons in October, the first of which is the Harvest Moon.
This full Moon, which falls closest to the September equinox on the 22nd, is named after the Harvest season.
It will shine on October 1, and is best viewed at 10.05pm.
The month of the Harvest Moon varies with it appearing in October every three years.
When it appears in October the September Moon is known as Full Corn Moon.
OCTOBER 2020: Blue Moon
The later October Moon is called Blue Moon in 2020 because it’s the second in the month, which happens once in a blue Moon.
The October full Moon is usually called the Hunter’s Moon.
This is because people planned ahead to winter, with October traditionally becoming a big time for hunting game – which were becoming fatter thanks to falling grains.
It’s also known as the Travel Moon or, rather depressingly, the Dying Grass Moon.
It will be on Halloween, October 31, in 2020.
NOVEMBER 2020: Mourning Moon
The Mourning Moon marks the beginning of the end and in many cultures it is connected to death and loss.
It is also called the Reed Moon by Celtic cultures because it is compared to the mournful music made by wind instruments to the sounds of spirits being taken to the underworld.
In the US it is known as Beaver Moon.
This year, it will be on November 30 and will feature the final penumbral lunar eclipse of 2020.
DECEMBER 2020: Cold Moon
There’s no prizes for guessing how this wintry Moon got its name.
This year, it will shine its brightest here on December 20.
It will be the last full Moon in 2020.
What is a full Moon?
Full moons mark the midway point of the lunar calendar when the Moon finds itself directly across from the Sun.
Although astronomers prefer the term full Moon at perigee or perigee Moon, amateur astronomers refer to the phenomenon as a Supermoon.
Because they occur every 29 and a half days, there are sometimes 13 a year – as there are in 2020.
Each month’s full Moon has a special name.
This is because Native American tribes kept track of the months of the year by the lunar calendar.
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What is the difference between a full moon and new moon?
Both a full circle, it is easy to get full moons and new moons confused.
A new moon is the start of a new lunar phase, when the sun and moon have the same ecliptic longitude.
At the end of a lunar phase, a full moon is bright white, because it’s reflecting the light from the sun, but a new moon is dark, except for a tiny slither (waxing crescent) around the edge.
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