Tag: blue moon

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“Paschal Moon” and Last ‘Blue Moon’ of 2018 is Tonight

full moon Tracy F

photo courtesy of Tracy

March 31,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, A full Blue Moon rises into the evening sky tonight (March 31). This will be the second and final Blue Moon of 2018.

Despite the name, the “Blue Moon” won’t actually be blue. In fact, it will look the same as any other full moon. According to the current definition, the term refers to the second full moon in a given calendar month. The traditional definition of a Blue Moon was reserved for the third full moon in a season that has four full moons, which happens in years that have 13 full moons instead of the usual 12.

The next seasonal Blue Moon will not happen until May 18, 2019. The last Blue Moon was an extra special one, as it coincided with a “supermoon” and a total lunar eclipse.

Today’s full moon, which is the first full moon of spring, is also known as a “Paschal Moon,” which is the full moon right before Easter Sunday. It has also been nicknamed the “Sap Moon” by Native American tribes “as it marks the time when maple sap begins to flow and the annual tapping of maple trees begins,” according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac.

Today, the moon will reach its fullest phase at 8:37 a.m. EDT (1237 GMT). That means for viewers in Ridgewood , the moon will be below the horizon at this time.

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Astronomical Feast : A supermoon, blue moon and lunar eclipse will coincide

full moon Tracy F

photo by Tracy F

January 29,2018

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, on January 31 it will be the last chance you will have to see a supermoon this year. To witness the supersize moon in all its glory, look to the skies just after sunset. The lower the moon sits in the sky, the larger it appears because of something called the “moon illusion.”

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.

The moon doesn’t orbit the Earth in a perfect circle, which means it sometimes sits closer to the earth than usual. When the moon’s closest approach or “perigee”coincides with a full moon, it can look bigger and brighter. This is known as a “supermoon,” but the technical term is “perigee full moon.

A “Blue moon” has come to mean the second full moon in a calendar month. No it doesn’t actually shine blue.

You can also watch a live stream from the comfort of your home. NASA will broadcast live coverage of the super blue blood moon from 5.30 a.m. ET January 31. The Virtual Telescope Project will follow the event from Australia and the U.S., beaming the eclipse from 6.30 a.m. ET. The VTP will also stream the non-eclipsed super blue moon from Rome starting from 11 a.m. ET.