Set your clocks back one hour tonight before going to bed . . . just what we needed, one more hour of anxiety. This year, Halloween will feature the second full moon of the month, also known as the Hunter’s Moon. According to NASA:
Since the harvesters had reaped the fields, hunters could easily see the animals that have come out to glean (and the foxes that have come out to prey on them).
And, this being 2020, everything is the opposite of “super.”
Since this full Moon occurs near when the Moon is farthest from the Earth (apogee), this is a Micro Moon (the opposite of a “Supermoon”).
What else can you see in the night sky?
On the evening of the full Moon . . . as evening twilight ends . . . bright Jupiter will appear in the south-southwest about 27 degrees above the horizon with Saturn to the upper left of Jupiter. . . Mars will be shining brightly in the east-southeast about 22 degrees above the horizon.
For those staying in this Halloween, good news: Tonight’s host on Saturday Night Live is the best ever, John Mulaney (who is very sorry for causing the pandemic) with musical guests The Strokes.
Oy, I didn’t even get to the asteroid.
For the exact time, go to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
(Moon Image: NASA/Joel Kowsky)