We’ve all probably heard the
phrase, ‘once in a Blue Moon.’ It comes from the fact that a Blue Moon is super rare considering it’s the second full moon that occurs in a month.
Image For Representation/cambridge.org/
2020 may not have been all
that pleasant so far but thanks to celestial events, casual observers and
avid stargazers have a lot to look forward to this year.
Blue moons are uncommon, rising once every two or three years, but a blue moon in 2020 seems to fall exactly on Halloween, October 31.
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After the blue moon this
year, we will need to wait until 2039 to see the next blue moon
on falling exactly on October 31.
It’s not called a ‘Blue Moon’ because of the colour but when it occurs. The time between one full moon and the next is close to the length of a calendar month. So, the only time one month can have two full moons is when the first full moon happens in the first few days of the month. This happens every two to three year. The last Blue Moon by this definition of the term happened on March 31, 2018.
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Image For Representation/Reuters
As stated by NASA,
“Most Blue Moons look pale gray and white, indistinguishable from any
other moon you’ve ever seen. Squeezing a second full moon into a calendar month
doesn’t change the physical properties of the moon itself, so the color remains
the same.”
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Sometimes, however, the moon
does look blue. But it has to do with atmospheric conditions and not calendar
time. A famous example occurred in 1883, after the volcano Krakatoa erupted.
The moon appeared blue because of all the dust from the volcano that rose into the air.
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This year’s Blue Moon will
be a monthly one. There will be a full moon on October 1 and October
31, 2020. Because October has two full moons scheduled, the latter full Moon is
dubbed as the Blue Moon.
If it’s going to be a clear
night on October 31, you can enjoy watching the moon with a telescope, and with every one staying at home amid the
pandemic, this could be a good way to kill time.