Full (Blue) Moon Fever
We’ve all heard the phrase “once in a blue moon,” but many of us don’t know the exact definition of a blue moon. Today, a blue moon is considered to be the second full moon in a single month. As you may expect, the moon will NOT look blue, which is where the history of the term gets confusing.
Originally (at least 400 years ago), the phrase was used to simply describe something that was impossible or could never happen – like a BLUE moon. Then a Farmers’ Almanac referred to blue moons as an extra moon in a given season.1 More recently however (March 1946), Sky & Telescope magazine incorrectly interpreted it to mean two full moons in one month.2 Popular culture has been using the incorrect definition ever since. Just based on the probability, you can expect to see a blue moon about once every 2 1/2 years or so.
Why is this relevant? When you are out celebrating like a champ on New Year’s Eve, look up in the sky. You will see a blue moon and have a story to tell. If you are in Times Square and the weather is frigid, you might even find a guy with his pants down giving you another blue moon to look at, and giving you a much more interesting story. Either way, you’ll be prepared.
Read on:
Yahoo! News – Rare New Year’s Eve ‘blue moon’ to ring in 2010
Science.NASA.gov – Here comes the Blue Moon
SkyandTelescope.com – What’s a Blue Moon (page 3)
- and the seasons were not the ones we use today, so it was all the more confusing, but basically, if there were 4 full moons in a season, the 3rd one was considered a blue moon ↩
- http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/moon/3304131.html ↩
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