HUNTER’S BLUE MOON ON HALLOWEEN: Farmers’ Almanac tells us that skywatchers are in for a rare treat on Halloween —a full Hunter’s Blue Moon.

This year, all time zones will see a Halloween full Hunter’s Blue Moon, something that has not occurred since 1944. The last time any time zone saw a full moon on Halloween was 2001.

Any time the Moon is technically “full” on October 31st (as it will be this year), it would also have to be a Blue Moon because the lunar cycle is only 29.5 days long.

Farmers’ Almanac explains that, while the full Moon on Halloween night won’t appear blue in color, you’ll be looking at something pretty uncommon. A full Moon on Halloween occurs roughly once every 19 years—a pattern known as the Metonic Cycle.

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WEREWOLF OR SERIAL KILLER?: Today, we continue with a look at werewolves, although these stories from history are generally accepted as serial killers who tried to pass themselves off as a creature of legend.

In the early 1500’s in France, a man named Pierre Burgot claimed (in 1521 at his trial) that he met Michel Verdun, who convinced Burgot to accompany him to a meeting of supposed warlocks and later grew beast-like fur over their bodies, and their hands and feet became clawed. History does show that the two went on a murderous rampage that gripped the French countryside of Besancon in terror. Legend has it some of the children they abducted were never found.

After the two alleged werewolves had been found guilty (which was easy, since they confessed to the crimes), they were burned alive on stakes.

Giles Garnier, known as the “Werewolf of Dole,” was another sixteenth-century Frenchman who, according to legend, turned into a wolf, killed children and ate them. He too was burned to death at the stake for his monstrous crimes.

Another case of a werewolf/murderer was that of Peter Stubbe, a wealthy, fifteenth-century farmer in Bedburg, Germany. According to folklore, he turned into a wolf-like creature at night and devoured many citizens of Bedburg.