![]() Sure enough, 19 years from now – in the year 2040 – the full moons will fall on June 24, July 24, August 22, and September 20. That’s because 235 lunar months (235 returns to full moon) almost exactly equal 19 calendar years. How often do seasonal Blue Moons occur?Īs it happens, the phases of the moon recur on or near the same calendar dates every 19 years. Therefore, this August Blue Moon acts as a harbinger of springtime, exhibiting longer-than-average lag times between moonrises. ![]() Meanwhile, in the Southern Hemisphere, the September equinox is the spring equinox. Like September’s Harvest Moon, it’ll showcase a few to several nights of dusk-until-dawn moonlight. A month from now, at mid-northern latitudes, the moon will rise about 25 minutes (instead of 50 minutes) later daily, providing several nights of dusk-until-dawn moonlight.Īt mid-northern latitudes, this August Blue Moon will show this same characteristic (a moonrise about 25 minutes later on successive evenings, instead of closer to 50 minutes later), although to a lesser degree. The lag time between successive moonrises is reduced to a yearly low when the full Harvest Moon arrives. On the average, the moon rises some 50 minutes later each day thereafter. ![]() The true Harvest Moon will come on September 20, 2021.Īny full moon rises around sunset. By definition, the Harvest Moon is the closest full moon to the autumn equinox. So, in the Northern Hemisphere, this late summer Blue Moon shares characteristics with the upcoming Harvest Moon in September. It happens considerably closer to the equinox than the solstice. September solstice: SeptemThe Harvest Moon’s cousinįor those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, this August Blue Moon is a harbinger of the upcoming autumn season. Go figure.įull moons between June 2021 solstice and September 2021 equinox:Īugust full moon (a Blue Moon): August 22, 2021 Weirdly, it’s not the fourth of these four full moons that’ll be called a Blue Moon. And thus there’s enough time to squeeze four full moons into the current season, which will end at the September equinox on September 22, 2021. The upcoming seasonal Blue Moon of August 22, 2021, happens because June’s full moon falls just a few days after the June solstice, early in the season of northern summer (southern winter). Each season typically lasts three months and typically has three full moons. We’re talking about winter, spring, summer, fall. What is a seasonal Blue Moon?īy season, we’re referring to the period of time between a solstice and an equinox. JV Noriega created this photo of a blue-colored moon among fast-moving clouds, using special blue filters. To read more about truly blue-colored moons, click here. When these particles are present in our air, and the moon shines through them, the moon may appear blue in color. Particles of this size are very efficient at scattering red light. You might find particles of this size in the air above you when, for example, a wildfire is raging nearby. The particles must be slightly wider than 900 nanometers. Blue-colored moons are rare – aren’t necessarily full – and happen when Earth’s atmosphere contains dust or smoke particles of a certain size. Sure, they are, and someday you might see a true blue-colored moon in the sky. And it’s of the “folk.” So it sometimes gets messy.īlue- colored moons in photos – like the ones on this page – are usually made using special blue camera filters or in a post-processing program such as PhotoShop. The second of two full moons in a calendar month? Or third of four full moons in a single season? How can both of them be Blue Moons? The answer stems from the nature of skylore, and folklore in general. And, by lucky coincidence, the moon will be near planets again, this time Jupiter and Saturn. The upcoming Blue Moon will crest on August 21-22, 2021. It’s a seasonal Blue Moon, the third of four full moons in a season (the time between a solstice and an equinox). Now another sort of Blue Moon is coming up. ![]() We called it a Blue Moon because it was the second of two full moons in a calendar month. But that full moon – like most Blue Moons – was blue in name only. ![]() That night, the Blue Moon was near red Mars. Our last Blue Moon came on the night of Halloween, 2020. But it’ll be near Jupiter and Saturn! Read more. Okay, so the moon won’t be blue in color on August 22, 2021. ![]()
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