Residents of the United States will be able to observe the real 'blue moon': what is this phenomenon

The full moon on Sunday, August 22nd will be the "blue moon" according to the original, but not the most popular, definition of the phrase. The edition told in more detail Sky and telescope.

In modern usage, the "blue moon" began to denote the second full moon in a month (the last of which occurred on October 31, 2020), but this was not always the case. The error hit the Sky & Telescope pages in March 1946 and from there spread around the world.

Sky & Telescope's editors and collaborators traced traditional astronomical definitions back to the Maine Farmers' Almanac of the late 1930s. The Almanac has consistently used the term to refer to the third full moon in a season of four (rather than the usual three).

"The introduction of a 'blue moon' meant that traditional full moon names such as the Wolf Moon and Harvest Moon coincided with their season," says Diana Hannikainen, editor of Sky&Telescope's Observing.

But in 1946, amateur astronomer and Sky & Telescope contributor James Hugh Pruett (1886–1955) misinterpreted the description of the Almanac, and the concept of "the second full moon in a month" was born.

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Sky & Telescope admitted to its "mistaken description of the blue moon" in its March 1999 issue. Texas-based astronomer Donald Olson, along with research librarian Margaret Vaverek of Texas State University, worked with the magazine's editors at the time to figure out the cause of the error and how the two full moon error came about. But the term has already spread into English.

By any definition, Blue Moons are still relatively rare. On average, they happen about once every 2,7 years. We get a "true" Blue Moon when a cycle of lunar phases causes a full moon to occur within days of the equinox or solstice. The last such event happened in February 2019, and the next one will be August 2024. The Blue Moon occurs after the full moon occurs on the first or second night of a month of 30 or 31 days, respectively, in February this type of Blue Moon cannot exist, because the full moon occurs with a difference of 29,5 days. The next Blue Moon as the second full moon of the month comes in August 2023.

The Moon will be exactly full (that is, directly opposite the Sun) this month at 8:01 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (12:01 UTC) after the Moon sets, as seen from the East Coast of the United States. This means that observers in the United States will see a nearly full moon on two consecutive nights - the nights of August 21-22 and August 22-23 - with the Moon being closest to full before dawn and again after sunset.

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Historically, the term "Blue Moon" was more often than not an astronomical term: in old songs it was used as a symbol of sadness or loneliness, while "once in a blue moon" meant a rare event. Only very rarely does the Moon actually turn blue in our sky - when volcanic eruptions or forest fires release a lot of smoke and fine dust into the atmosphere.

Popular culture has also enthusiastically embraced the phrase "Blue Moon" and has applied it to many different things. As you wait for the Blue Moon to rise on August 22nd, indulge in a Blue Moon Cocktail: In a tall glass filled with ice, mix four parts gin with one part blue curaçao and add a wedge of lemon.

SkyandTelescope.org or Sky & Telescope magazine, the premier guide to astronomy since 1941, can be found for information on sky observation and astronomy news. Sky & Telescope and SkyandTelescope.org are published by the American Astronomical Society in conjunction with SkyWatch, they also publish books, star atlases, posters, prints, globes, applications and other products for astronomy enthusiasts.

The American Astronomical Society (AAS), founded in 1899, is a major international organization of professional astronomers, astronomy teachers, and amateur astronomers. It also includes physicists, mathematicians, geologists and engineers. The mission of the AAS is to expand and disseminate the scientific understanding of the humankind of the Universe as a diverse and inclusive astronomical community, which it achieves through publishing, organizing meetings, promoting science, education and outreach, and training and professional development.

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