Blue Moon Captures Attention of Stargazers this Weekend - http://clapway.com/2015/08/02/blue-moon-captures-attention-of-stargazers-this-weekend-345/

We’ve all heard the age-old adage “once in a blue moon,” but have you ever actually seen a Blue Moon? It’s a pretty rare sight, though scientists are expecting two within a few months in the year 2018. Stargazers were in for a treat Friday night as they saw a extraordinary full moon light up the sky. This moon is known as a Blue Moon. The moon isn’t really blue, though in some areas the hue can be mistaken as a little more cool than it’s usual warm color. Find out more on what a Blue Moon is…

The Age-Old Adage

So where does the term, “once in a blue moon” come from? You can guess just from context clues – and the fact that you’ve said it practically your whole life – that it means once in a long amount of time. The irony in the phrase is that Blue Moons that really that rare. In fact, there are several kinds of moons we might see in a year. According to Infoplease, a website with a plethora of information, we will see 15 Blue Moons in the next 20 years. The two expected in 2018, mentioned above, is one of the more rare occasions for a Blue Moon, happening once every 19 years. So the phrase, “once in a blue moon” was first seen in a Farmer’s Almanac in the 1800s, to note the third full moon of the season where they expected four full moons to occur.

Normally, farmers only expected three full moons per quarter, because there are typically 12 full moons a year. So the rarity of a fourth full moon in their quarter was exactly as the coined phrase depicts.

What Other Kinds of Moons Will We See?

In June, we have seen the Strawberry Moon, named by Native Americans because strawberries are usually picked in June. A Pink Moon, not to be confused with a Strawberry Moon, can be seen in April due to the pink moss that begins to grow in the spring month. There is also what is known as a Blood Moon, though we usually know it as a total lunar eclipse. When the Earth’s shadow encompasses the moon, it looks as though it has a red glow. A Black Moon is one that occurs in February, and happens when there are no full moons present in a calendar month (hence why it can only be the second month of the year.)

Does the Color of the Moon Ever Change?

Given its many names in various seasons, one would think they would actually be looking at a blue or pink moon. However, the hue of the giant rock in the sky never really changes. It may appear a different shade to us down here, due to the angels of the rising and the climate of the Earth, but the actual color will always be the same. Keep an eye out for each of these moons in the next year. Whether the colors change or not, they really are a beautiful sight to see…

Do you know more facts about any of these moons? Share them with us!

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Sun Lifelight comes in blue to have your own personal blue moon party:

 

Blue Moon Captures Attention of Stargazers this Weekend

Another thing to #LookForward to this #Friday -- #TGIF and a #Blue #Moon to boot. - http://clapway.com/2015/07/26/once-in-a-blue-moon-happens-this-friday-342/

Has anyone every told you something outrageous to which you replied, “I’m sure that happens once in a blue moon”? Of course you have. Well, be prepared to eat your words, because this Friday, July 31st, we will be having a blue moon.

Will the moon actually be blue?

No. Sorry about that. If the moon actually ever looks blue, that’s because there’s some atmospheric event in the world that is distorting its color because of a sort of haze in the atmosphere.

Well then what is a Blue Moon?

A blue moon could be one of two possible things. First off, it could be the second full moon in one month. The other example of a blue moon is the third full moon in an astronomical season that has four full moons with the ordinary being three. In either case, a blue moon is always a full moon. The original definition of a blue moon was the latter, though, if it happens, the former will as well.

Normally, a single year has four astronomical season. These are the same seasons as the regular ones: spring, summer, fall, and winter. Because each season takes up three months, there are normally three full moons. Sometimes there are four in a given year.

How do we know when we get them?

Astronomers have known for thousands of years the patterns that the moon will undergo and when. In fact, the phases of the moon are so well known that many calendars have the phases written in on the days they begin to occur. Based on its orbital location in regards to the earth and the sun, it will be in a different phase. A ‘New Moon’ is when you can’t see the moon. A moon that is in the ‘waxing’ phase will have the dark part on the left side, while a ‘waning’ moon has the dark part on the right side. There are various names for each phase that the moon is in.

So what have we learned?

We are going to have a blue moon on Friday the 31st, blue moons aren’t in fact blue, if the moon ever is blue, it’s because of a strange atmospheric event, and there are a lot of names for the phases of the moon.

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"Once in a Blue Moon" Happens this Friday

Get moon savvy. See the Strawberry moon tonight! - http://clapway.com/2015/06/02/tonight-look-out-for-the-strawberry-moon-123/

Ever heard of full moons with strange names like strawberry moon, worm moon, or sturgeon moon? Well, they do exist, and they were named for a reason. And number one, the strawberry moon, can actually be viewed tonight.

Where do these moons get their names?

All full moons of the year got their special names from northeastern U.S. Native American tribes. The moon names vary in category and purpose–the Wolf moon’s name, for example, which falls on January 4th, is meant to warn of danger.

The upcoming strawberry moon is supposed to be the best time to pick ripe strawberries, and is one of the few full moon names that was used by all of the Algonquin tribes.

Another moon, the worm moon, is named after the season right at the end of winter when the soil becomes softer and earthworms reappear–basically, a signal for the start of spring.

The harvest moon on September 27th is pretty self-explanatory. For a complete list of the full moon names and their dates, click here.

Full moon after the strawberry moon used to go by three different names.

Depending on the tribe, the full moon that will take place in July, after the strawberry moon, could have gone by one of three names. The first one, buck moon (which is the one used commonly today), referenced the antlers that male deer would start growing in July. The second, thunder moon, alluded to the frequent thunderstorms that would take place during this period of the year. The third one, hay moon, was used by a few tribes, and it was named after the July hay harvest.

Once in a blue moon…

The expression “once in a blue moon” gets its roots from a moon that is supposed to occur very rarely. Most seasons only have three full moons, but they can sometimes have four. The occasion is quite rare, which is why the expression named after it also signifies rarity. There was a false notion that many people believed in regarding blue moons: that they are actually the second full moon of any month. This was due to an error printed by Sky and Telescope Magazine in 1946.

Tonight! Look Out for The Strawberry Moon