Once In A Blue Moon...

The phrase "once in a blue moon" is commonly used when speaking of something that just doesn't happen all that often.

Mel Torme is serenading you right now, isn't he? What Torme sang of was a moon shining down on him, answering his request for someone he could care for … the only one his arms could hold.

What is a blue moon? How often does it really happen? And is it this May or June that falls under one definition of what most lunar watchers consider a rare occasion?

According to the popular — and more recently adopted — definition, a blue moon is the second full moon to occur in one month. Depending on which time zone you reside in, when adhering to this definition, the question becomes in which month the two full moons fall — May or June?

For residents of most places west of the base reference, the Greenwich meridian, the first full moon was on May 2 and the blue moon is tonight. In most time zones east of the meridian, the first full moon will occur on June 1 and the blue moon on June 30. And those residents in Auckland, New Zealand, will have to wait until July to experience the blue moon — first full moon there is on July 1 and the blue moon on July 30.

On average, there will be 41 months that have two full moons in every century, so it could be said that once in a blue moon happens every two and a half years, according to a Web site relating to the phrase "once in a blue moon" on obliquity.com. The last blue moon month was July 2004. An average lunar cycle is every 29.5 days, which makes two full moons occurring in the month of February impossible.

Two blue moons occurring in one year happens every 19 years and the last year this happened was 1999. When two months in one year have two full moons it is usually January and March — with February having no full moon.

There are a number of definitions that go as far back as the 16th century. One, according to the Maine Farmer's Almanac, was the fourth full moon in a quarter year.

Few of these definitions have to do with the moon shining in a hue of blue. According to some scientists, an azure coloring can occur with the help of dust or ash particles from large fires or volcanoes.

Now that you have at least one definition in detail, the next question is, in a blue moon month, does the heightened energy make people twice as manic?

The blue moon is forecast to rise at 9:05 tonight.

http://www.rutlandherald.com/apps/pb...81/1002/NEWS01

Whether its the right reason or not, should be interesting to see tonight :)

Regards,

Lee