A Blue Moon streaking across the night skies this weekend will dazzle stargazers all around the globe. The full moon will reach full phase on May 18th 2019 at 21 11 Universal Time. After Saturday’s event, the next seasonal Blue Moon will peak on the afternoon of August 22, 2021.
There are two different definitions of a Blue Moon, both of which refer to a rare Full Moon appearing out of the blue.
The first definition, which also happens to be the more popular tagline, describes a second Full Moon to appear within one calendar month.
The second definition of a Blue Moon describes the third of four Full Moons to appear in one calendar season. If a season has four Full Moons, then the third Full Moon may be called a Blue Moon, according to the old Maine Farmer’s Almanac.
According to the Royal Observatory Greenwich, Blue Moons are a fairly rare occurrence – by both definitions – and appear once every two to three years.
The year 2018 was unusual because it had two Blue Moons to appear only two months apart – an incredibly rare combination.
The next time two Blue Moons appear in one year will be the year 2037.
Clear Skies Everyone!
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Credit: NASA/JPL, nemesis maturity channel
Music credit: YouTube Audio Library
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