Science of Facts

AMAZING ABOUT THE SUPER BLUE MOON: So to celebrate the Blue Moon , here are five amazing facts about this month's full moon:   1) It's not really blue: Okay, so not really a newsflash, but the Blue Moon's name actually has nothing to do with color. Occasionally, the full moon can take on a reddish pallor, but today's full moon is not related to the actual color of Earth's cosmic neighbor. The moon can appear blue in color if a forest fire or volcanic eruption litters the upper atmosphere with ash or smoke. [ Blue Moon Explained (Infographic) ]   2) There are two definitions for Blue Moon: The term Blue Moon was originally assigned to the third full moon in a four moon season, but after a mix up in "Sky & Telescope" magazine in 1946, the term took on a different meaning. An article in the magazine incorrectly defined a blue moon as the second full moon in a single month, but the definition stuck. This particular blue moon is a te...

Super Blue Blood Moon 2018:  The Blue Moon – second of two full moons in one calendar month – will pass through the Earth’s shadow on January 31, 2018, to give us a total lunar eclipse. Totality , when the moon will be entirely inside the Earth’s dark umbra shadow, will last a bit more than one-and-a-quarter hours. The January 31 full moon is also the third in a series of three straight full moon super moons – that is, super-close full moons. It’s the first of two Blue Moons in 2018 . So it’s not just a total lunar eclipse, or a Blue Moon, or a supermoon. It’s all three … a super Blue Moon total eclipse! Two Definitions of Blue Moon Seasonal Blue Moon = The third Full Moon in an astronomical season with four Full Moons (versus the usual three). Monthly Blue Moon = The second Full Moon in a month with two Full Moons.    why is called blue...