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Spooky season is officially upon us, and while Halloween may look very different this year, there are still plenty of opportunities to embrace the magic of All Hallows Eve.
Including the beautiful Taurid meteor shower and the incredibly rare and mystical blue moon.
Uranus (stop laughing) will also be visible in the UK this week, so we have the bare minimum on how to spot it (we mean it, stop laughing).
Here are the dates for your journal and what to look for in the skies this week.
When is the next meteor shower in the UK?
On October 29, just after midnight, it is possible to spot the meteor shower of the Southern Taurids. It’s late for stargazing for the little ones, but it could be a fun mid-term treat!
Learn more about what to look for below.
Why is it called the blue moon?
Then on Halloween itself there will be a full blue moon which is a very rare event. October has a rare phenomenon this year where there have been two full moons in one month.
The second full moon of a month is referred to as the blue moon and is a perfect time for budding witches and wizards to cast their spells in the night or to gather special ingredients to make potions.
The moon will also keep company in the night sky on Halloween. The blue-green planet of Uranus is in opposition on October 31st, which means it will be very visible in the sky.
Southern Taurid meteor shower
(Image: PA cable)
The rain of the Southern Taurids will occur at midnight on October 29th until the early hours of October 30th.
There will be between five and 10 meteors per hour at its peak.
This downpour is caused by the debris of the Comet 2P Encke and is famous for producing a higher than normal percentage of bright fireballs, sometimes called “Halloween fireballs”, as they are regularly observed around the end of October every year.
The best view will be right after midnight from a dark place away from any light pollution, particularly as the near full moon will make them slightly more difficult to spot.
Full blue moon
Since this will be the second full moon in the same month, it is usually referred to as the blue moon.
On this night, the moon will be fully illuminated as it appears on the opposite side of the earth as the sun, resulting in a full moon.
This rare calendar event occurs only every few months, giving rise to the term “once in the blue moon”.
Uranus in opposition
(Image: AP Photo / NASA)
On this date, the planet will be at its closest approach to Earth and its face will be fully illuminated by the Sun.
It will be brighter than any other time of the year and will be visible all night.
It will only appear as a tiny blue-green dot in all but the most powerful telescopes.
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