Will the Blue Moon Really Be Blue?
Posted: Thursday, December 31, 2009
by Asher Ricard
All the talk this 2010 New Year is that occurrence of a "blue moon" on New Year's Eve.
Ever heard the saying, "Once in a Blue Moon?"
The event tonight is supposed to be where the saying comes from. After all, I can't think of a time in my life that I have seen an actual blue moon.
Unfortunately, tonight's "blue moon" will look nothing different then a full moon does. In fact, according to researchers, the only way it would look blue is if it a giant volcano erupted pouring ash into the sky giving it a blue tint. Not likely that is happening tonight.
According to wikipedia, "The March 1946 Sky and Telescope article "Once in a Blue Moon" by James Hugh Pruett misinterpreted the 1937 Maine Farmers' Almanac. "Seven times in 19 years there were - and still are - 13 full moons in a year. This gives 11 months with one full moon each and one with two. This second in a month, so I interpret it, was called Blue Moon." Widespread adoption of the definition of a "blue moon" as the second full moon in a month followed its use on the popular radio program.
The mistake led to the current definition of blue moon, generally accepted to mean the second full moon in a given month. The setup occurs about every 2.7 years.
Therefore, tonight's blue moon isn't as big as an occurrence as one would think. For one, it happens every two to three years. Two, it looks like every other full moon.
However, it does not mean that New Year's Eve is not a blue moon type of night. After all, 2010 only comes once in a blue moon!
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Top-level comments on this article: (2 total)Hi Asher.I guess the big deal is that a blue moon only occurs on New Year's Eve every 19 years and that it was a partial lunar eclipse as well for the folks in Europe and Asia.But I get your point and maybe we should find a better way to express something that doesn't happen very often, like maybe when health care reform actually happens.DianneThanks Dianne for the explanation and comment!
New years has come and gone. Did you see a blue moon, green moon, yellow moon or an eclipse? Thanks for sharing.I did not see anything Linda! Thanks for asking!
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