A blue moon doesn’t appear to have any special meaning: a full moon is simply a phase of the moon, and a blue moon is the name given to a particular full moon — that is, one that occurs towards the end of a month that has already had one full moon.
Of course, that doesn’t mean something like the strange blue moon we’ll see in August 2024 will be the case, but that requires a more detailed explanation.
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Why is the August full moon called a blue moon?
The one full moon in August is named “blue” because of how many full moons fit into a “tropical year” — normally 12, but the current tropical year has 13 — and the extra one counts as blue. If that number doesn’t make sense to you (probably because it’s completely arbitrary and based on some concept like a “tropical year” that we didn’t even know existed until today), I’m not sure if I can be of any help, but I can explain it in a bit more detail.
According to the Library of Congress website: Maine Agricultural Almanac The lunar calculation is derived from the tricky concept of a “tropical year” mentioned earlier. A tropical year does not run from January 1 to December 31, but from the winter solstice (around December 21-22) to the next winter solstice. However, if we count in “tropical years”, 2024 will have four summer months. The third full moon occurs at Four full moon seasons — It’s neither a midsummer moon nor a late summer moon. — Become Blue Moon.
According to this system, the summer of 2024 will have three seasonally designated full moons, plus one blue moon.
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June 21 – Early Summer Moon
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July 21 – Midsummer Moon
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August 19th – Blue Moon
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September 17 – Late Summer Moon
This is what is called ” original Blue Moon (as if any of this could be considered “logical”).
The moon as photographed by NASA’s Lunar Orbiter.
Credits: NASA / GSFC / Arizona State University
Why are there two types of blue moons?
Actually, there are three, because the moon can literally appear blue after a major volcanic eruption, but for now, let’s focus on how blue moons are counted on the calendar.
The reason you don’t hear much about the original Blue Moon is because in 1946, James Hugh Pruett wrote The Full Moon Countdown, which threw the world of full moon countdowns into chaos. Sky and telescope,We’re screwed almanac‘s definition incorrectly states that a blue moon is simply the second full moon in a month. This is sometimes called a “fool’s blue moon,” a term I also coined. James Hugh Pruett’s method for counting blue moons has gained popularity, and confusion about blue moons has not been resolved.
That means there is nothing scientifically noteworthy about this month’s moon itself. The traditional claim that certain full moons are “blue” is a 20th century phenomenon. Oxford English Dictionarycame about much later than the phrase “rarely blue.” The moon never appears blue (unless there’s a volcanic eruption), and this has no bearing on astronomers, astronauts, lunar creatures, or even werewolves. But it’s boom time for pedantic trivia buffs.
It’s worth noting that August 2023 also saw another, more commonly defined, blue moon. Having two blue moons in consecutive August years is yet another rarity, arbitrary or not. According to Space.com, the next blue moon in the more commonly defined blue moon scheme will occur in May 2026, but the next true blue moon is still five years away, i.e. August 2029.
How can I see the Blue Moon?
look up.