THE AFTERMATH OF today’s stormy weather will provide the perfect opportunity to see a ‘blue moon’ that is expected to appear in the sky this evening, lining up with Halloween for the first time in decades.
Met Éireann has issued a Status Orange wind warning for 12 counties today, with high winds and rain set to batter the country, but a storm can mean good news for moon enthusiasts.
Chair of Astronomy Ireland David Moore said that once the stormy weather passes, people will have ample opportunity to catch a glimpse of the moon.
Speaking to TheJournal.ie, Moore said that because storms are generally short lived, the sky becomes clearer and the moon will be easier to see.
“The storm will be over by early evening which means people will have 14 hours to see it, ie from dusk on Saturday evening to dawn on Sunday morning.”
“This means thousands of people around the country will be able to catch a glimpse so we want to encourage everyone to try and take a photo as there hasn’t been a full moon on Halloween in most people’s lifetimes.”
The full moon in the sky tonight is the first time a full moon has occurred on Halloween in Ireland since 1955, and another one isn’t expected again on the spookiest night of the year until 2039.
It will be the second full moon of this calendar month, making it a “Blue Moon”.
Astronomy Ireland also noted that Uranus is close to the Moon that night also, but it can’t be seen (because of the full moon) with the naked eye or with binoculars. People are being encouraged to submit their photos of the rare event for a future issue of Astronomy Ireland.
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