What is a blue moon?
2007-03-20 16:20:09 · 7 answers · asked by nil_queen 3 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
A blue moon is the second full moon in one calendar month. It's pretty rare, hence the saying 'once in a blue moon'.
2007-03-20 16:24:01 · answer #1 · answered by hermione_speaks 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The answers here are mostly correct... but there's more to it. There are 3 possible definitions for it. For one thing, it is possible for the moon to appear blue under certain conditions (odd smoke or haze in the air, etc). Obviously this would be a rare occurance.
Modern vernacular says that a blue moon is the second full moon in a calendar month, this happens roughly every 2 and a half years or so.
More traditionally, a blue moon is the third full moon in a season that has 4 full moons (typically a season has only 3). Note that the one called the blue moon is the 3rd of 4. Modern times have simplified this to the definition from above.
2007-03-20 17:19:58 · answer #2 · answered by Arkalius 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There are 13 lunar months in a year (some calendars, like the Muslim one, use that) whereas we only have 12 calendar months.
That means that occasionally two full moons happen in one of our calendar months - like 1st of month and 29th of the month.
Easy as that. There is nothing special about the moon - it isn't blue or anything. We just see it full twice in the same month.
Any more moon questions?
2007-03-20 16:34:34 · answer #3 · answered by nick s 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A blue moon is simply when a month is long enough to have two full moons in it. The second moon is called a "blue moon."
2007-03-20 16:24:05 · answer #4 · answered by Twizard113 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Its when a full moon occurs a second time in the same month.
Here in the U.S. we will have one on May 31st! (there will also be a full moon on May 2nd.)
(In other parts of the world it will be shifted one day because when its, say, 8:00PM in Chicago, its the next day in Europe. This really get's weird because if the shift is far enough, the moon will fall into June, as in my example. Then its no longer a blue moon, cuz its NOT in the same month. Those areas will have theirs toward the end of June in that case!)
2007-03-20 16:24:16 · answer #5 · answered by Jim S 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
a second full moon. it's soo rare that the saying "once in a blue moon" comes from it. the link on the bottom should help you out more.
scientists say blue-colored moons are real. wierd huh?
2007-03-20 16:47:06 · answer #6 · answered by Homer 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is not actually blue, it is a term used to indicate the second full moon in one calandar month. Twelve moons are named in a year, when there are 13, they (people who made stuff up) made up another name, "Blue".
2007-03-20 16:28:42 · answer #7 · answered by OLLIE 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋