Blue Moon over Edinburgh: Rare pictures capture phenomenon over Edinburgh on Halloween

Skywatchers were treated to a spooky spectacle for Halloween as a rare ‘Blue Moon’ appeared in Edinburgh's skies on Saturday night.
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It was the first time since 2001 a full moon has coincided with Halloween and, according to experts, we won't see another one on Halloween until 2039.

“The full moon rising over Edinburgh last night was a spectacular sight,” said Jason Gilchrist, a local ecologist, nature writer and outdoor photographer who captured some atmospherically spooky images.

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This was the second full moon of October, with the first being on October 1.

Jason Gilchrist captured this stunning image of the full moon over Edinburgh on Halloween. Photograph: Jason GilchristJason Gilchrist captured this stunning image of the full moon over Edinburgh on Halloween. Photograph: Jason Gilchrist
Jason Gilchrist captured this stunning image of the full moon over Edinburgh on Halloween. Photograph: Jason Gilchrist

The term 'Blue Moon' actually doesn't have anything to do with its colour. When we get two full moons in one calendar month, or four in one season, these are called blue moons.

As NASA previously explained: "According to modern folklore, a Blue Moon is the second full Moon in a calendar month.

“Usually months have only one full moon, but occasionally a second one sneaks in.”

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A stunning image of the full moon over the Capital. Photograph: Jason GilchristA stunning image of the full moon over the Capital. Photograph: Jason Gilchrist
A stunning image of the full moon over the Capital. Photograph: Jason Gilchrist

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