Once in a blue moon, which is on August 31st, 2012

Wonderful and amazing things seem to happen “once in a blue moon”.

Fortunately, that is actually about every two and half years. And the next one is Friday, August 31st. That means a blue moon happens more often than giant “supermoons” do.

Revmodo says,

A blue moon, at least in modern days, is the term given to the second full moon in calendar month. This lunar timing only occurs once every two and a half years or so.

According to Live Science, August 1st, is the first full moon of the month, with the moon completing its cycle and becoming full again on the last day of the month.

Sky and Telescope says the idea that the second full moon in a calendar month is the blue moon is actually incorrect, but they concede that “trying to correct this (mis)interpretation is like trying to stuff a genie back into its bottle”.

Will you be having a blue moon gazing party next Friday?

[Photo: snappydessy/Flickr]