Spooky 'Honey' Moon Casts Glow on Friday the 13th (Photos)

News
By Nina Sen
published

Friday the 13th Full Moon from Tucson
Astrophotographer BG Boyd took this image of the full moon on June 12, 2014 from Tucson, Arizona. (Image credit: BG Boyd )

Today's full moon might have been extra spooky for the superstitious.

The moon officially turned full at 12:11 a.m. EDT (0411 GMT) on Friday the 13th, and stargazers captured some amazing photos of the rare sight. A Friday the 13th full moon will not rise again for another 35 years. The amber-colored moon also probably looked full Thursday night (June 12) because the natural satellite usually appears full a day or two before and a day or two after the moon actually turns full. 

Astrophotographer Greg Hogan took this image of the full moon on June 12, 2014 from Kathleen, Georgia. (Image credit: Greg Hogan)

When the first of the month is a Sunday, the month also has a Friday the 13th. This follows "Pelletier's Law," named after stargazer Leslie C. Peltier. On average, a full moon falls on Friday the 13th about once about every 14.3 years. It last happened in October 2000, but it won't take place again until August 2049.

"This will be the most amber or honey colored full moon of 2014, especially when it rises at sunset Thursday evening," Slooh community telescope representatives wrote in an advisory earlier in the week.

Astrophotographer Stojan Stojanovski took this image of the full moon on June 13, 2014 from Ohrid, Macedonia. (Image credit: Stojan Stojanovski)

Of course, Friday the 13th is considered by some to be an unlucky day. The fear of the date is called paraskevidekatriaphobia, and this month it also overlaps with superstitions surrounding the full moon.

Editor's note: If you snap an amazing photo of the moon, or any other night sky view, and you'd like to share for a possible story or image gallery, please send comments and images to managing editor Tariq Malik at spacephotos@space.com.

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Nina Sen
Contributing Writer and Producer

Nina Sen is a freelance writer and producer who covered night sky photography and astronomy for Space.com. She began writing and producing content for Space.com in 2011 with a focus on story and image production, as well as amazing space photos captured by NASA telescopes and other missions. Her work also includes coverage of amazing images by astrophotographers that showcase the night sky's beauty.