Full moon rare on Halloween

In spite of what the cards and pictures indicate, there is rarely a full moon on Halloween. This year, Halloween 2009, the moon will be about two days before full. It will be about 25 degrees above the eastern horizon at 7 p.m. and should provide modest illumination for all the goblins, ghouls, and ghosties that happen to be out wandering the streets.

While there may not be a full moon every Halloween, (in fact there won't be a full moon on Halloween until the year 2020) there is an astronomical object that is high in the sky on each and every Halloween; that is the tiny star cluster M44, the Pleiades.

Many ancient civilizations have long associated the Pleiades with events concerning the dead and ghosts and such. The ancient Aztec and Maya of Mexico and Central America had legends and stories about the Pleiades and how they were located high in the sky each fall. The cluster was associated with their belief that the world had been destroyed and rebuilt many times when the Pleiades were high in the sky.

They began to associate the cluster with their observances and celebrations for those who had died which have come down to us as the "Day of the Dead" where graves are decorated and feasts are held in cemeteries to be with and honor the departed souls.

In Druid England there was the belief that the dead came back and roamed the Earth each Oct. 31, and they could only be appeased with treats and sweet items.

The Roman Catholic church moved the observances of these days to their All Souls and All Saints Days, Nov. 1-2, and tried to steer the observance away from things dark and evil to things good.

The Pleiades can be found 15 degrees above the eastern horizon at about 8 p.m. MDT; that is a little more than the width of your clenched fist held at arm's length. Look for a small fuzzy spot.

If you have good eyesight and a dark sky you might be able to see all seven of the "Sisters."

In all, there are about 400 stars in the cluster located about 400 light years away just above and right of the constellation of Taurus, the Bull. A pair of binoculars will reveal not only the seven bright stars, but many more of the cluster's stars.

So, this Halloween in the words of the poem often associated with the great Scottish poet Robbie Burns, "From ghoulies and ghosties and long-legged beasties, and things that go bump in the night, good Lord deliver us."

SKY WATCH: Full moon, Nov. 2, Jupiter is the bright object in the southeast just after sunset. Venus and Saturn are morning objects best viewed about a half-hour before sunrise in the east. Starting on Oct. 31 and continuing through Nov. 2, use your binoculars to track Mars as it travels through M-44, the Beehive cluster, in Cancer the Crab. Cancer is a dim constellation located in the south almost overhead between Gemini and Leo the Lion.

Look about an hour before sunrise. Nov. 3, the moon will once again walk through the Pleiades star cluster. Binoculars will be needed because the moon is just past full and will be very bright.

If there are no clouds on Halloween evening, drop by the house for an interesting treat. I will have a telescope set up and will be looking at some interesting objects.

Next time: More astronomical blathering.