In August 2021 we will have a blue moon, that is, a second full moon this month. Find out why it occurs and what color the blue moon really is.
Perhaps you have noticed that in our August lunar calendar we announce that on Sunday the 22nd we have what is known as a blue moon. But do you know what the blue moon is? What color is it really? How does it affect you?
WHAT IS THE BLUE MOON?
Surely you remember that singers like Billie Holiday or Frank Sinatra, among many others, entrusted their longing for love to a blue moon in a famous song Blue moon you saw me standing alone, without a dream in my heart…
Now, that melancholy-inspiring blue moon has nothing to do with the lunar phenomenon that occurs this year . In fact, the blue moon, or blue moon in English, it is neither sad nor truly blue.
blue Moon is nothing more than the name given to the second full moon of the month , something that occurs from time to time.
TWO FULL MOONS IN THE SAME MONTH OR FOUR FULL MOONS IN THE SAME SEASON
In the years when there is a blue moon we have 13 full moons instead of 12 . At the same time, it may be the case that a season counts that year or a different one, depending on how it falls, with 4 full moons, instead of 3, which is usual.
The fourth full moon of the season is known as seasonal blue moon and it is usually reflected in the farmers' almanacs. The next seasonal blue moon that we will see on the calendar will be August 22, 2021. We cannot complain: four summer nights with a full moon.
WHY IS IT CALLED BLUE IF IT IS NOT BLUE
Name misleads and much has been speculated about why it is called that, without there being a clear answer.
The most widespread theory is that it comes from medieval English. belewe , which means "to betray", and which later led to blue , "blue". Originally, then, it would have referred to a treacherous moon .
However, other theories point to very varied possible origins , such as that in the past it was believed that this moon was bad luck (the color blue is associated with sadness) or that the name comes from the English expression eleven every blue moon , used to refer to something that goes from grapes to pears.
Be that as it may, the second full moon of a month, or in its case of a season, it is not truly blue .
SOMETIMES THE MOON LOOKS BLUE, BUT IT IS NOT THE SAME
Indeed, the moon it can be seen blue in other circumstances . And, in this case, we could say that the phenomenon is rare and infrequent.
What causes it to stain color is the presence of ash dust or smoke in the atmosphere, when it comes to medium-sized particles. The particles scatter red light and make the moon appear blue. Logically, the moon does not have to be full to look this color.
Some Volcanic eruptions have caused this phenomenon throughout history, such as the eruption of the Krakatoa volcano in Indonesia in 1883, El Chichón in Mexico in 1983, Saint Helena in the United States in 1980, or Pinatubo in the Philippines , in 1991.
But unless the volcanoes surprise us, we will not see the blue moon this year. A Forest fire yes it could in some cases make the moon look bluish.
HOW THE BLUE MOON INFLUENCES US
We have already seen that the blue moon is not blue and that it does not have to make us feel sad. Or no more than any full moon can make us feel, if that's the case. However, farmers and all those who look at the moon influences on earth you may want to take it into account.
the blue moon It's just another full moon and this is how its influence will have to be understood, without there being anything special because it is called blue or because it coincides in the calendar with another in the same month: the coincidence is not magical, but rather the result of the way in which we have structured the calendars, such and as we will see later.
Even so some people celebrate their rituals to honor their influence. Full moon It is related to the culmination and consummation , it is considered a good influence to carry out projects.
In full moon time physical energy is renewed quickly, although the moment can also be accompanied by increased agitation and sometimes insomnia. The full moon is also considered favorable for meditation.
In general, it is considered that rising moon the sap of the plant is directed with more force upwards. This makes the periods of the ascending moon good for grafting and for harvesting juicier fruits.
Instead, the descending moon carries plant fluids down to the roots. That is why in the periods of the descending moon it is recommended to harvest tubers, prune, replant or cut down.
HOW OFTEN DOES A BLUE MOON OCCUR?
The answer is simple: approximately every two and a half years or every three years we can have a blue moon . Most years with a blue moon there will be only one, that is, only one month with a double full moon, but sometimes the unusual phenomenon of two blue moons in the same year occurs, as happened in 2018.
To find out why this phenomenon of a double full moon occurs in a blue month or moon, it is convenient to understand how the lunar calendar works with respect to the solar calendar and, above all, what a Metonic cycle is.
He sun calendar is based on the time it takes the Earth to revolve around the Sun. Its division by months does not correspond to the lunar cycles , which last 29.5 days, although calendars usually include both aspects, the division by months and, within these, the corresponding part of each lunar cycle.
He metonic cycle corresponds to the time it takes for the lunar calendar to synchronize or realign itself with the solar calendar, that is, to repeat and coincide the behavior of the moon and the days of each month.
And how long does that Metonic cycle last? Well nothing less than 235 lunar months , which is equivalent to 19 calendar years by months.
And therein lies the secret: in 235 lunar months we see 235 full moons, but only 228 solar months elapse. We have, then, 7 moons more than months throughout 19 years, which are what make some years have 13 moons instead of 12 and, therefore, blue moon.
Those 7 extra moons spread over 19 years give us the frequency with which the blue moon appears: exactly every 2.7 years .
So we can anticipate that we will have a blue moon in August 2023, in May 2026, again twice in January and March 2029... and we will continue counting.
If you want to know the "Moon's calendar" of the year 2021, you can look for it on the following page of our website: Phases of the Moon .
If you have any doubts or questions, do not hesitate to contact us or leave a comment.
Sincerely,
THE OFFICIAL MAGIC HAIR TEAM
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