[ad_1]
Usually, a blue moon marks the second time that a full moon rises during the same month. But the full moon that arrives on Saturday (May 18) is the first full moon in May, so why do people call it a blue moon?
The answer is tied to an obscure rule, according to Space.com, a sister site of Live Science.
In this case, the moon of May 18 – also known as full moon – is called the blue moon because it is the third of the four full moons of the season. Usually, the seasons only have three full moons each, reported Space.com. [Photos from the Moon’s Far Side! China’s Chang’e 4 Lunar Landing]
The spring season began at the equinox on March 20th. That night, a moon known as Full Worm Moon was shining in the sky. After that, the full pink moon rose on April 19. After the blue moon of this Saturday, the fourth and last moon of the season, the strawberry moon, will illuminate the sky on June 17th.
Then, the spring will end on June 21st, when the summer equinox will arrive.
This obscure rule of Blue Moon says that when a season has four full moons, the third must call a Blue Moon, so that the fourth full moon can be called a "late moon", according to Space.com.
But despite its name, this moon will not be tinted marine, aquamarine or cerulean. The moon appears in blue only when the appropriate atmospheric conditions occur on Earth. For example, a large volcanic eruption that releases a lot of dust can give the moon a blue color, as do dust storms and forest fires.
You can see the blue moon from Saturday from 17:11. local time (22:11 GMT), as long as the sky is clear. To watch it live on the skies of Rome, give yourself here.
Originally published on Science live.
[ad_2]
Source link