What Is A Blue Moon? Tips For Watching the Moon Tonight

By Mstarz reporter | Aug 31, 2012 09:19 PM EDT

What is a blue moon?  Some people expect to see a beautiful round and blue colored moon, however, it is not blue.  It essentially represents the second full month in a calendar month and that occurs only every 2.7 years on average.

According to Space.com, "blue moon" was used to describe absurd things a long time ago.  An error made by an amateur astronaut in 1946 led to the commonly accepted term "blue moon" which now refers to the third full moon of a calendar season.  

After this blue moon tonight, the next one comes in July 2015.  

The best viewing of the blue moon is away from city lights.  It looks most beautiful according to some nearby a lake or pond, where the reflection of the light shines mysteriously on the water.

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