Fact Check: 2020's blue moon on Halloween is not occurring after 76 years

Hyderabad: October 2020 is going to witness a blue moon which is a rare celestial phenomenon. A full moon occurred on 1 October and the next full moon falls on 31 October. When there are two full moons in a calendar month, the second full moon is called the blue moon. A message on Facebook read, "Do you know what will happen in the sky on 31st October? After 76 years, a blue moon will appear in the sky on 31st October." An image, which appeared to be a newspaper clipping in Telugu, with the same caption, was also tagged with the message.

The newspaper clipping read:

'76 ఏళ్ల తరువాత అద్భుతం…

అక్టోబర్ 31 కోసం ప్రపంచం మొత్తం ఎదురుచూపులు…

అక్టోబర్ నెలలో ఆకాశంలో కొన్ని అద్భుతాలు చోటు చేసుకోబోతున్నాయి. అక్టోబర్ నెలలో రాత్రి వేళల్లో ఉల్కాపాతం దృశ్యాలు కనువిందు చేయబోతున్నాయి. అంతేకాదు, ఈ నెల 31 వ తేదీన ఆకాశంలో మరో అద్భుతం జరగబోతున్నది. ఆరోజున ఆకాశంలోని చంద్రుడు నీలం రంగులో కనిపించబోతున్నాడు.

దీనిని బ్లూ మూన్ గా పిలుస్తారు. 76 ఏళ్ల క్రితం రెండో ప్రపంచ యుద్ధం సమయంలో బ్లూమూన్ కనువిందు చేసింది. ఆ తరువాత 2020 అక్టోబర్ 31 వ తేదీన మరోసారి ఆకాశంలో కనువిందు చేయబోతున్నది. 2020 తరువాత మరో 19 ఏళ్లకు బ్లూమూన్ కనిపించే అవకాశం ఉన్నట్టు శాస్త్రవేత్తలు చెప్తున్నారు. 76 ఏళ్ల తరువాత బ్లూమూన్ కనిపించబోతుండటంతో ప్రపంచం యావత్తు ఆ అద్భుతం కోసం వేచి చూస్తున్నది.'

When translated the text said the whole world is waiting for a rare event in October 2020 which is going to occur after 76 years, and which only occurred before during World War II. After 2020, this event will occur after 19 years, it said.

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Fact check:

The claim that this phenomenon of blue moon is occurring after 76 years is FALSE.

When there are two full moons in a calendar month, the second full moon is called the blue moon. The usual monthly lunar phenomenon is that every month has one full moon and a new moon. However, on an unusual occasion, the same month gets two full moons.

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/science/a-rare-phenomenon-blue-moon-to-grace-the-sky-on-october-31/rare-phenomenon/slideshow/78885438.cms

The Planetary Society, India, in Hyderabad released a press note asking people not to believe the misinformation being spread that this phenomenon is occurring only after 76 years. The press release stated that the last blue moon occurred in August 2012, July 2015, and twice in 2018 (January and March). The next blue moon will occur in August 2023 with one full moon on 2 August and the second one on 31 August.

This claim has been also been debunked by hoaxorfact.com

It is also important to know that this blue moon will not be blue in colour. It would be like any other full moon. Even though it's called a blue moon, the moon doesn't really look blue. The moon might look blue rarely "due to particles thrown into the atmosphere by natural catastrophes", says NASA. The blue moon on this Halloween night will appear near Mars. If you are lucky, you may be able to see it if the skies are clear and the pollution levels are low.

Hence, the claim that the blue moon that will occur this Halloween is occurring for the first time in 76 years is FALSE.

An interesting tidbit about this blue moon is that it coincides with Halloween. A blue moon on Halloween sounds spookier, doesn't it! The last time such a phenomenon occurred was on the Halloween night of 1944 and according to NASA the next Halloween blue moon will occur in 2039! Halloween comes every year, but this year it's definitely 'once in a blue moon'.

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/halloween-blue-moon-in-2020-a-blue-moon-on-halloween-know-all-about-it-2317655

Also, watch out for a brief meteor shower from 2 October to 7 November as part of the 'Orionids Meteor Shower'. From 11.30 pm onwards looking eastwards people can witness bright streaks of light zipping across the skies. These bright streaks of light are resultant of particles of Halley 's Comet entering earth atmosphere only to burn up due to friction. As per International Meteorological Organisation (IMO) approx. 20 meteors are expected to be seen every hour at its peak.