Tony Posted January 29, 2018 Report Share Posted January 29, 2018 Jan 3st 2018.....Get your camera's out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SMARTLY Posted January 29, 2018 Report Share Posted January 29, 2018 Isn't this a blue moon as well, first time since mid 1800's? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sagitar Posted January 29, 2018 Report Share Posted January 29, 2018 It has become very confused. Many people now call the moon "blue" when there is a full moon twice in a month (as there will be this month). My understanding (by no means expert) is that normally there are 12 full moons in a year but sometimes there are 13 which means that there four full moons in one of the four seasons of the year. The third full moon in a season when there are four is called a blue moon. The classic blue moon (the one with a seasonal connection) repeats in less than three years. The twice in a month job is more frequent. I guess the twice in a month definition is popular because it is easier to recognise, but it only started in the 1940s when there was a mistake in an almanac that has since been perpetuated. Incidentally, it is absolutely nothing to do with the colour of the moon. The word blue is a corruption of an old English word "belewe" used by the church to describe a moon that came too early for defining the date of a church event. They were using lunar months in those days so had to cope with squeezing in an extra one occasionally. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted January 29, 2018 Author Report Share Posted January 29, 2018 I just noticed my error in my post "Jan 3st" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SMARTLY Posted January 29, 2018 Report Share Posted January 29, 2018 "In the early hours of January 31, the moon will do something it hasn’t since 1866. A supermoon, blue moon and lunar eclipse will coincide for a rare and spectacular astronomical feast." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted January 29, 2018 Author Report Share Posted January 29, 2018 The doomsday crowd will be "the end is nigh" over the next few days then Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sagitar Posted January 29, 2018 Report Share Posted January 29, 2018 In 1866 they would certainly not have been using the "twice in a month" definition of a blue moon. The January 31st moon will not be a blue moon if we use the same definition as was used in 1866. So I think we may be getting a bit over excited. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted January 30, 2018 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2018 Shame last night... Just as it got dark the moon was to high to notice any difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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