We will have a blue moon on December 31, 2009 for New Year's Eve night! So what does that mean? First, it does not mean that the moon will look blue, like in the picture to the left. On rare occasions, the Moon can
actually appear blue in color, but that will not be the case tomorrow night. It will appear as its beautiful, silvery full Moon self. A 'blue moon' is the name given to the second full moon in a calendar month, and it happens only once every 2 to 3 years. Our last blue moon was in May of 2007, and our next one will be in August of 2012. It is special to have one on New Year's Eve, which only happens every 20 years or so. So this year, instead of having the ball in Times Square, we will have a full moon, highest in the nighttime sky at midnight, slowly begin its descent into the new year of 2010 throughout the night, until it finally sets at 7:54 AM here in Louisville. How do you observe a blue moon? Go outside on New Year's Eve and look up. The moon will be out all night for your enjoyment.
If you want to learn more about the blue moon, visit the
Farmer's Almanac.
