Halloween full moon is the first in 46 years

Associated Press

MIAMI — For the first time in 46 years, Halloween ghosts and goblins can trick or treat by a full moon tonight. They won’t get another chance until 2020, astronomers say.

Assuming clouds don’t obscure the sight in the Puget Sound region, the moon will shine at its fullest point at 9:41 p.m. PST.

Tonight’s full moon will look like an orange jack-o’-lantern rising from the east at dusk, said Jack Horkheimer, executive director of the Miami Space Transit Planetarium.

It will appear orange at the horizon because it is seen through denser layers of the earth’s atmosphere. Adding to the effect, the moon’s tilt at this time of the year makes the "man in the moon" particularly visible.

"It’s just very nifty because it will be a very bright full moon, and when it’s up high like that it will just flood the landscape with a lovely bright light," Horkheimer said.

Weather permitting, of course.

Some astronomers believe jack-o’-lantern carving was inspired by the rising orange October moon, said Horkheimer, writer and host of PBS’ nationally syndicated "Star Gazer" series for 25 years.

Copyright ©2001 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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