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