If you thought the moon looked a little different or a lot closer on Jan. 10, you probably caught a glimpse of the year's first full moon. Nicknamed the Wolf Moon [1], January's full moon wasn't the only star of the show, as a lunar eclipse was in full effect as well. While the moon and Earth's crossover (called the penumbra) wasn't visible from the US, the moon's "tea-stained" colour and size were, and it left people speechless.
And the Wolf Moon is only the beginning of interesting happenings in 2020. One of the most anticipated moon events, the Blue Moon, will take place on Halloween [2] this year. Talk about spooky! Whether you are an avid skywatcher [3] or just find the moon fascinating, here are all the cool moon happenings we'll be seeing this year. Grab your camera and some popcorn; you won't want to miss these!
There Will Be 13 Full Moons
Typically, we see 12 full moons a year, one for each month. However, we're in for a treat this year because there will be two full moons in October [5]. A full moon is about a 27-day cycle and comes to fruition when the moon and sun are 180 degrees apart [6], or in other words, most opposite of each other. So October will have a full moon on Oct. 1 and Oct. 31.
Did you know each full moon has its own nickname? Some of the most peculiar names include Flower Moon (May 7), Strawberry Moon (June 5), Corn Moon (Sept. 2), and Beaver Moon (Nov. 30).
There Will Be a Blue Moon
When there are two full moons in a singular calendar [7] month, it's called a Blue Moon. The last time a Blue Moon occurred was in 2018. So don't fret if you missed it, because there will be one come this October. The first full moon will take place on Oct. 1, and the Blue Moon, or "extra" full moon, will take place on Halloween [8]. Spooky!
We'll See 2 Supermoons
Essentially, there are two factors that go into making a supermoon: the moon's perigee [9], and when the moon is full. A perigee is a fancy name for the point where the moon's orbit is the closest to Earth, which is roughly 226,000 miles from Earth. A supermoon will also appear brighter and larger than a normal full moon, hence making it "super." There will be two supermoons this year on March 9 and April 7.
While it technically isn't a supermoon, the second full moon of Winter — called a Snow Moon — will occur the weekend of Feb. 7. It's called a Snow Moon because it occurs in February, a month with typically heavy snow. The moon will rise at about 4:47 p.m. [10] on Saturday and set at about 7:33 a.m. on Sunday, reaching its full phase at 2:33 a.m. The reason this isn't a supermoon [11] is because supermoons occur simultaneously with perigee, which is when the moon's orbit is closest to Earth, and this Snow Moon is taking place only about a day and a half after perigee. Still, it'll be really beautiful to see!
There Will Be a Micromoon
As if it couldn't have a more transparent name, the micromoon is when the moon appears the smallest and is the furthest distance away from Earth [12]. The micromoon will be roughy 252,380 miles away, almost 30,000 miles further than it was at its biggest size six months prior. This will happen on Oct. 31. Is it just us, or does it seem like Halloween [13] is going to have a few extra eerie layers this year?