In a surprise to many people a ‘blue moon’ is not blue as most people would assume. This term means a situation in which a calendar month is blessed with two full moons instead of it being vice versa. This is where the popular phrase ‘once in a blue moon’, that is, rarely is derived from. However, it is a fact that there are times when the moon looks bluish depending on the condition of the atmosphere in cases of volcanic ash. But in normal circumstances, the blue moon appears to be similar to the other full moon and it is also silver–white. Indeed, the very name of this metal may deceive because, despite the adjective ‘bronze’ attached to the name, this metal has nothing to do with the cheerful shade represented by this word.
Main Topic
- What is a blue moon?
- How often does a blue moon happen?
- What causes a blue moon?
- When is the next blue moon?
What is a blue moon?
It is the second full moon in a calendar month or the fourth in a season that normally has three, and hence it is referred to commonly as the blue moon. However, to clarify, a Blue Moon is not blue and the meaning of ‘blue moon’ refers completely to its rarity. The term has become pop and lights up more than one meaning as blue moon which means something rare and ‘once in a blue moon. ’ Sometimes the ash in the atmosphere can give the moon an attitude of bluish coloration, but this is not normal.
Recently blue moons have been occurring in conjunction with other lunar events, for instance, supermoons. A supermoon can be said as a situation where you have the full moon and at the same time the moon is at its zenith and therefore looks larger than normal sized full moon. A blue moon and a supermoon together form quite an eye-catching event that observers with a penchant for astronomy cannot afford to ignore.
How often does a blue moon happen?
Blue moons happen only after 2 or 3 years or so. There are two definitions: the most common greatest refers to the second full moon within one single calendar month, and this anomalistic occurs approximately every 2. 7 years. The other definition is seasonal, where a blue moon is the third full moon in the season and is slightly less frequent. The fact that such a lunar phenomenon is quite rare has given the phrase ‘once in a blue moon’ meaning something that happens very rarely, something more mysterious and special.
What causes a blue moon?
What makes this fun is the fact that a “blue moon” simply means that there is an extra full moon in a certain month or several months. There are two definitions:
Calendar-based:
A blue moon is a scenario in which two full moons will occur in one calendar month. This is so because the lunar cycle – the time between one full moon and the next – is approximately 29. 5 days good and more surprisingly most of the calendar months are either 30 or 31 days long. Grasping the wants and needs of people in today’s society, popular culture inserts a twist in the story: so although one month there will be a full moon at the beginning and another full moon towards the end, it becomes the ‘blue moon. ’
Seasonal-based:
Previously, the term ‘blue moon’ was used to define the third full moon in a season that had more than three full moons; in the current world, a blue moon is a second full moon in a month. Culturally defined seasons are roughly about three months and thus four full moons within a season are not common.
Mathematics:
Lunar Cycle = 29. 5 days
A calendar month = 30-31 days
Blue moon frequency (calendar-based): ~each one, averaging every 2. 7 years
Blue moon frequency (seasonal-based): ~at least every 2-3 years
.jpeg "Blue moon in under calander")
When is the next blue moon?
The next blue moon will be again on May 31, 2026. This will be a calendar-based blue moon as the second full moon in May 2026 with a first full moon on May 1, 2026. Blue moons are interesting occurrences in the sky that occur or are said to take place every 2-3 years, this happens because the lunar month at 29.
Here is a list of upcoming blue moons from 2023 to 2035:
| Year | First Full Moon | Second Full Moon (Blue Moon) |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | August 1, 2023 | August 30-31, 2023 at 01:36 UTC |
| 2026 | May 1, 2026 | May 31, 2026 at 02:19 UTC |
| 2028 | December 2, 2028 | December 31, 2028 at 15:49 UTC |
| 2031 | September 1, 2031 | September 30, 2031 at 18:23 UTC |
| 2034 | July 1, 2034 | July 30, 2034 at 10:01 UTC |
These blue moons are determined by having two full moons in a single calendar month, with the second full moon referred to as the blue moon The times quoted above are expressed in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).