When is the next blue moon (through 2029)?
Wondering when the next blue moon will occur? Here’s a list of the upcoming blue moons through 2029 along with a look back to the blue moons since 2010.
The dates and times provided by NASA in United States Eastern Time (ET) account for both Eastern Standard Time (EST) and Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) for part of the year in the United States. Also below is the Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) time. This was previously referred to as Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). Since your local time zone may be different, the exact dates may shift slightly for your calendar.
What is a blue moon?
A blue moon is typically considered as the second of two full moons occurring in the same calendar month. While you think the saying “once in a blue moon” is a very rare occurrence, it’s a little more frequently than you realize when you watch the calendar.
Another definition of a blue moon refers to 4 full moons occurring during a season. The third full moon in that season is called a seasonal blue moon. These types of blue moons happen even more often.
The Seasonal Blue Moon, another blue moon definition
A seasonal blue moon is the third blue moon in an astronomical season when four full moons occur within the season (Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter). This definition is less commonly used for the blue moon because you need to look closer at the full moon cycles from December of the prior year through December of the fulling year as each winter crosses two calendar years. Astronomical seasons begin with the solstices and equinoxes each year.
The solstices, referred to as the longest or shortest day of the year, means the amount of daylight for that day. Equinoxes are when the light and dark parts of the day are the same length (equal).
- Spring starts with the spring equinox
- Summer begins with the summer solstice
- Fall starts on the fall equinox
- Winter begins with the winter solstice
The spring equinox is usually March 19th or 20th each year and the summer solstice is around June 20th or 21st. The fall equinox occurs on September 22nd or 23rd and the water solstice is usually on December 21st or 22nd each year.
How often do blue moons occur?
Generally, a blue moon only occurs about every 2 and a half years with 2 full moons in the same month. Usually, in the year that a blue moon occurs, there is only 1, but sometimes there are two such as in 2018 when both January and March had blue moons.
When is the next blue moon?
The next calendar blue moon is Friday, August 30, 2023 21:35 EST or August 31, 2023 02:35 UTC.
In addition to the Blue Moon in 2023, there are 3 calendar blue moons coming up between now and 2029 along with 2 seasonal blue moons.
The next seasonal full moon seasonal blue moon on Monday August 19, 2024 2:26 PM EST or 7:26 PM UTC when there will be 4 full moons during the Summer 2024 season. This full moon is also called the Full Sturgeon Moon.
| Year | Month | Blue Moon Dates | UTC Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | August | Friday, August 30, 2023 9:35 PM EST | 2:35 AM UTC (August 31, 2023) |
| 2024 | August | Monday August 19, 2024 2:26 PM EST (seasonal) | 7:26 PM UTC |
| 2026 | May | Sunday, May 31, 2026 4:45 AM EST | 9:45 AM UTC |
| 2027 | May | Thursday May 20, 2027 6:59 AM EST (seasonal) | 11:59 AM UTC |
| 2029 | August | Thursday, August 23, 2029 21:51 EST (seasonal) | 02:51 UTC (August 24, 2029) |
And when was the last blue moon?
The last blue moon occurred on October 31, 2020 9:49 Eastern Time. It was the only blue moon in 2020. And the last seasonal blue moon occurred on August 22, 2021 08:02 Eastern Time.
Looking back from 2021 to 2010, there were 7 blue moons, and two of them were in 2018. 2018 was also an interesting year because February did not have a full moon (sometimes called a black moon).
Blue moons did not occur in 2010, 2011, 2015, or 2017.
| Year | Month | Day of the week | Past Blue Moons |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | August | Sunday | August 22, 2021 08:02 EST (seasonal) |
| 2020 | October | Saturday | October 31, 2020 09:49 EST |
| 2019 | May | Saturday | May 18, 2019 17:11 EST (seasonal) |
| 2018 | January | Wednesday | January 31, 2018 08:27 EST |
| 2018 | March | Saturday | March 31, 2018 08:37 EST |
| 2015 | July | Friday | July 31, 2015 06:43 EST |
| 2012 | August | Friday | August 31, 2012 09:58 EST |
Blue Moons in 2018, a year worth noting
2018 was an unusual blue moon year because two blue moons occurred at the start of the year, in January and March. The January blue moon was on Wednesday January 31, 2018 08:27 EST and the March blue moon was on Saturday March 31, 2018 08:37 EST.
As a result, February did not have a full moon at all. The lack of a full moon in a month is sometimes referred to as a black moon.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have additional questions about blue moons? Here are a few questions and answers to help you.
When was the last Halloween Blue Moon?
The Last Halloween Full Blue Moon was in 2020 on Saturday October 31, 2020 09:49 EST. It was the second full moon of the Autumn 2020 season with the October 1st full moon.
When is the next Seasonal Blue Moon?
The next Seasonal Blue Moon will be Monday August 19, 2024 2:26 PM EST or 7:26 PM UTC. The 2024 Summer season will have 4 full moons with the third full moon of the season being considered a Seasonal Blue Moon. The August 2024 full moon is also called the Full Sturgeon Moon.
The four full moons of the Summer 2024 season are:
- June 21, 2024 9:08 PM EST (June 22, 2024 2:08 AM UTC)
- July 21, 2024 6:17 AM EST (11:17 AM UTC)
- August 19, 2024 2:26 PM EST (7:26 PM UTC)
- September 17, 2024 10:34 PM EST (September 18, 2024 3:34 AM UTC)
The season begins with the Summer Solstice on June 20, 2024 16:51 EST or 21:51 UTC. And the season ends with the Autumn Equinox on September 22, 2024 08:44 EST or 13:44 UTC.
How many blue moons were there in 2020?
In 2020 there was one blue moon that occurred on Saturday October 31, 2020 09:49 EST. It was a Halloween Full Blue Moon. It was the second full moon of the Autumn 2020 season with the October 1st full moon.
