Why is the 13th full moon called a Blue Moon?
Folklore named each of the 12 full moons in a year according to its time of year. The occasional 13th full moon that came too early for its season was called a “blue moon”, so the rest of the moons that year retained their customary seasonal names.
How long does it take for a Blue Moon to occur?
Thus it would take about 2.716 years, or 2 years, 8 months and 18 days for another blue moon to occur. Using the common Sky & Telescope misunderstanding, when one calendar month has two full moons; the second one is called a “blue moon”.
Where did the phrase Blue Moon come from?
The phrase has undergone a strange evolution over the past 500 years. The notion of a blue moon first appeared in writing in the 16th century, according to folklorist Phillip Hiscock, a professor at Memorial University in Newfoundland who has traced the meaning of the phrase through the centuries.
What causes the Moon to appear blue in the sky?
The effect can be caused by smoke or dust particles in the atmosphere, as has happened after forest fires in Sweden and Canada in 1950 and 1951, and after the eruption of Krakatoa in 1883, which caused the moon to appear blue for nearly two years. Other less potent volcanoes have also turned the moon blue.
Which is the correct definition of a Blue Moon?
For other uses, see Blue Moon (disambiguation). A blue moon is an additional full moon that appears in a subdivision of a year: either the third of four full moons in a season, or a second full moon in a month of the common calendar.
Thus it would take about 2.716 years, or 2 years, 8 months and 18 days for another blue moon to occur. Using the common Sky & Telescope misunderstanding, when one calendar month has two full moons; the second one is called a “blue moon”.
When was the last time there was a Blue Moon?
Unlike the astronomical seasonal definition, these dates are dependent on the Gregorian calendar and time zones. Two full moons in one month (the second of which is a “blue moon”): 2009: December 2 and 31 (partial lunar eclipse visible in some parts of the world), only in time zones west of UTC+05.
What did the Maine Farmers Almanac call the Blue Moon?
Maine Farmers’ Almanac blue moons. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, the Maine Farmers’ Almanac listed blue moon dates for farmers. These correspond to the third full moon in a quarter of the year when there were four full moons (normally a quarter year has three full moons). Full moon names were given to each lunation in a season.
