Rare Halloween blue moon will be visible for first time in 76 years
This year, a blue moon will fall on Halloween -- and itโs the first blue moon weโll experience since the last one on March 31, 2018. A blue moon, in case youโre wondering, isnโt blue in color at all โ unless youโre talking about the other blue moon, which weโll fill you in on shortly. A blue moon, by the most popular definition, according to meteorologist Paul Gross, is when two full moons appear in a single month. โWe will have full moons on Oct. 1 and 31, so that means that weโll have a blue moon on Halloween,โ Gross said. The full moon to follow on the last day of the month then becomes a Halloween blue moon.
Can we retire a Greek hurricane name? Delta made us wonder.
Louisiana residents who are still recovering from the devastation of a powerful hurricane less than two months ago braced for another hit as Hurricane Delta steamed north through the Gulf on Thursday after swiping Mexicoโs Yucatan Peninsula, the Associated Press reported. โThey do not retire Greek alphabet storm names -- at least so far,โ Gross said. The last time we went through all the letters of the alphabet and moved on to the Greek alphabet was 2005. In 2005, a record-breaking year of devastating hurricanes, we made it through six Greek letters. The Committee also agreed that it was not practical to retire into hurricane history a letter in the Greek alphabet.
Meteors, blue moon and Mars, oh my! Beautiful triple threat on tap for skywatchers
Mars will appear brighter than at any other point during the year on Oct. 13, when it will be closest to Earth. โSo, a little over every two years, Mars and Earth are closest together in their orbits and, thus, Mars is at its brightest in our nighttime sky. (ยฉ 2012 Michael Orso)Blue moon on HalloweenFor the first time since 2001, trick-or-treaters will get the chance to experience a Halloween full moon. A blue moon, by the most popular definition, according to Gross, is when two full moons appear in a single month. โWe will have full moons on Oct. 1 and 31, so that means that weโll have a blue moon on Halloween,โ Gross said.
When it comes to storms and protecting your home, err on the side of caution: Weโll tell you how
But regardless where youโre located or what types of weather your region regularly experiences, itโs always best to remain vigilant. When it comes to hurricanes and big storms, thereโs always so much talk about how to prepare the insides of our homes. Therefore, itโs always better to err on the side of caution, he added. โThereโs nothing wrong with being too careful.โSo, the next time a big stormโs coming to town, walk around the exterior of your house, your property or your yard. You could even turn this into a project, moving just a few belongings a day, leading up to the storm.
9 unreal photos showing 'atmospheric river' that pounded Northern California
The Russian River rose to more than 45 feet high in this most recent deluge. The Russian River crested over flood stage after floodwaters inundated the town (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images). The town was for some time under mandatory evacuation orders after roads leading into the town flooded over (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images). A home is shown in floodwaters from the Russian River (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images). Hereโs a view over downtown Guerneville (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images).
Which otherwise-obscured planet will be visible during eclipse?
For those who will be witnessing totality during the Great American Eclipse on Monday, youโre in for a real treat: not only will you see the sun completely blocked by the new moon -- so long as itโs not cloudy -- but it will get eerily dark. Birds may become confused or stop flying. And if you know where to look, you may even be able to spot a hidden planet.
Eclipse day: What's worst-case scenario, weather-wise?
(GMG) โ Could the total solar eclipse set for Monday be rained out? Youโll see totality or the partial solar eclipse, depending on where you are, without any problem. But if itโs cloudy and youโve traveled for the total solar eclipse, prepare for disappointment. โBasically, to be able to see the sun eclipsed by the moon, it has to be clear out,โ Gross said. Last week, we showed you several maps predicting the states that would see clear skies during Mondayโs solar eclipse.