Halloween Full Moons Are Rare. Here’s When Iowa Will See The Next One

It's the final week of October. The end of 'spooky' season, with Halloween on Saturday night. The only thing that could make things even creepier would be a Halloween full moon! Here in Iowa, we'll miss that rare occurrence by just a few days!

When Is October's Full Moon?

As I took my dog for a walk last night, I was certain that it was a full moon. Turns out I was pretty close. October's full moon, known as the Hunter Moon, will reach its peak on Monday, October 26th at 12:12 a.m., according to the Des Moines Register. But for fans of Halloween who want as much moonlight as possible, fear not. The moon will still remain 68% full on Halloween night.

When Was The Last Full Moon on Halloween?

The Register reports that the last time a full moon occurred on Halloween was in 2020 during the pandemic. Scary times, indeed. And if you're wondering when the next Halloween full moon will occur, you'll have to wait a while. According to NASA, it won't happen again until 2039! In fact, Halloween full moons only happen once every 19 years.

Cristofer Maximilian / Unsplash

According to the Register, a Halloween full moon is also a blue moon, which happens when two full moons occur within one month. The moon's cycle is around 29.5 days, so every full moon that occurs on Halloween is also a blue moon.

If you can't wait that long, NASA says that in five years, in 2031, the full moon will happen on October 30th. While it won't be full on Halloween, it will sure look that way to trick-or-treaters!

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