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me_version_2

Twice in a month. Hence the saying “once in a blue moon” meaning rarely.


wwarnout

On average, we get a blue moon once every three years. However, in 1998, there was a blue moon in January, and then again in March. This happened because the time from one full moon to another is 29 days, and this was a year that February was 28 days.


Benyed123

What do they call it when there’s two blue moons in one year?


HashtagLawlAndOrder

Rare.


Uisce-beatha

Once in a blue moon


ethyl_Mycelium

Twice in blue moon


_illogical_

That's the opposite


The_Parsee_Man

I'd think it would be more likely to have multiple blue moons in a single year. If the 29 day window is near the end and beginning of one month, it's likely to be near the end and beginning of later months. Meanwhile, if the full moon is happening in the middle of the month, you're probably not getting any blue moons that year at all.


Polymarchos

Nope, if you do the Math that doesn't work out. Only if we assume we have a Full moon on January 1st or 2nd can we get two in one year (Jan 1, Jan 30, March 1, March 30 or Jan 2, Jan 31, March 2, March 31). Next one would be April 28, and so on with Full moons arriving toward the end of the months. If you have your first full moon at any other time of the year the math doesn't work out to catch two full moons in one month twice.


The_Parsee_Man

Yeah, I wasn't considering how much the window would slide. I figured it would be easier to check an authoritative source than try to figure the frequency of blue moons in any given year versus the frequency of multiple blue moons in a single year. https://www.britannica.com/science/blue-moon-astronomy So according to Britannica there are approximately 41 blue moons in a century and 4 double blue moons. So about 40% of years have a blue moon while about 10% of blue moon years are double.


noFiddling

Blue balls


249ba36000029bbe9749

Extra blue moon.


SuperconductingCat

Once in a moon blue


styrofoamladder

A super blue moon. They’re closer to once every 25-30 years.


IrNinjaBob

An indigo moon.


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Dabookadaniel

It’s not all that complicated man, it just depends on how the moon is feeling.


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dixadik

are you high?


Whitestuf

This will happen again in 2037 according to my quick google search. Jan 2., Jan 31., Mar 2., Mar 31.


BriSnyScienceGuy

I remember when that happened. It was 25 years ago. Fuck, I'm old.


Prochip

There is a Simpsons scene where they look at the calender and it says "visit grampa" on a blue moon day. But i just can't find that scene anywhere..


Demonyx12

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PB50XZOmiu0/U5vQ2O0rWRI/AAAAAAAAHs8/TA65pQDwrjM/s1600/14-06-14SIMP.jpg Possibly, SEASON 27 > EPISODE 13 "LOVE IS IN THE N2-O2-AR-CO2-NE-HE-CH4"


Prochip

Legend.


myaltaccount333

A blue moon? On the 17th?


DarkWombat91

I actually learned this during the Wake Up Snorlax episode of Pokemon. Guy says Snorlax wakes up once in a blue moon, so I asked my mom wtf he was talking about. Weird things you remember.


Brisslayer333

No more fortnite


mgush5

And the opposite, as in two new moons, is a Black Moon


FiercelyApatheticLad

So it litteraly means "once a fortnight", right?


ajag008

That multiple being 2...


BrianMincey

Yeah…my first thought was why write “multiple”?


Ahelex

Maybe to future proof in the event where we can travel to a time when the Moon orbits the Earth faster than now?


Gulmorg

Scalability!


EdibleBatteries

But it’s slowing down… and moving further away… in the future, there will be fewer blue moons.


Not_MrNice

I mean, they also wrote "and not when the moon becomes blue" which not only means they actually thought that what it meant, but also that they really thought the moon turns blue. And reddit put it at the top like most people also thought this.


Teamprime

Because multiple literally means more than 1?


destinofiquenoite

Nah, 0 is a multiple of every number lol


mrstarkinevrfeelgood

OP is still learning apparently


[deleted]

Nah, I once saw 7 in a row


Tutorbin76

Which is why we're seeing lots of photos of today's Super Blue Moon! The fact it's a supermoon is impressive because it's actually slightly closer to Earth and thus a bit bigger in the sky. The "blue" designation is meaningless since month boundaries are completely arbitrary (ie made-up).


DogToesSmellofFritos

So funny that a super moon is news when we’ve had magnifying lenses for centuries. It’s not like it looks significantly different but people take pictures as if there’s any real notable quality to them over a photo of a normal clear sky full moon. Edit: apparently this bothers some people? It’s literally an arbitrary distinction you probably wouldn’t even notice if it wasn’t brought to your attention, it’s hilarious that people think a super blue moon is special. You literally can’t tell any difference in a photo.


Korberon99

I don't know why everyone loves going to the grand canyon, we've had photos of it for years


DogToesSmellofFritos

It’s the exact same moon you can see every month lol, just minutely bigger. Not the same thing at all. You’re not documenting a trip to the moon, the picture will look identical to any other full moon.


Korberon99

You can see the grand canyon whenever you want lol, it's always the exact same. You're not documenting a trip to the grand canyon, the picture will look indentical to any other grand canyon picture.


Packman2021

they aren't getting their point across well, but a supermoon compared to a regular moon isn't anywhere near seeing the grand canyon versus seeing a picture of it. It's like seeing the Grand canyon in person from behind the railing, versus standing on the railing. Yeah, its technically a different view, but lets be real, its the same thing, from what might as well be the same distance.


DogToesSmellofFritos

Not true at all, you have to travel to see the Grand Canyon, and every pic is from a different angle. The moon literally faces the same way every night! Most people can never see the Grand Canyon, anyone with eyes can see the moon. I can’t tell if you’re trolling or not, they’re completely different.


tvieno

Multiple times of a full moon in a month... Multiple being two, nothing more.


boyyouguysaredumb

Author of the article just likes telling people he has had "multiple" sex partners


Reniconix

Then shalt thou count to \~\~three\~\~ two, no more, no less.


melance

Yet!


Reniconix

As the moon's orbit is getting longer, the only way for this to happen is to reduce the number of months.


melance

Not with that attitude!


asian_identifier

Just use a different calendar with longer months


spiritbx

I have multiple dollars to my name.


bowlofjello

Guess you never took the Gates-MacGinitie reading tests in school. That practice passage/question is burned into my core.


binkknib

This is not completely accurate. Two full moons in a month is the colloquial definition, as that’s how it usually happens, but the technical definition of blue moon is the third full moon in a season with four full moons. WHAT? The lunar calendar does not line up with the Gregorian calendar. There are about 12 and a third lunar months in a calendar year. That means every three years or so, we’ll end up with 13 full moons in a calendar year—there are usually only 12—three each in the summer, winter, fall, and spring. But when there are 13 full moons, that means one season will have to have four full moons. The third moon in that season—that’s the blue moon.


canadave_nyc

> the technical definition of blue moon is the third full moon in a season with four full moons. I don't think there's any "technical" definition. Space.com refers to it as a "traditional" definition.


binkknib

Fair enough. The Farmer’s Almanachical definition.


livestrongbelwas

This is accurate. It’s one of those situations where the misunderstanding has become so widespread that it’s overtaken the official definition.


OverlappingChatter

Except that didn't happen yesterday. There were only 3 full moons in summer this year (july 3, aug 1 and aug 30)


canadave_nyc

From space.com: "There are two types of Blue Moons but unfortunately, neither has anything to do with color. A seasonal Blue Moon is the traditional definition of a Blue Moon and refers to the third full moon in a season that has four full moons according to NASA. Whilst the second definition — borne out of a misunderstanding of the first — is a monthly Blue Moon which refers to the second full moon within a single calendar month. The monthly Blue Moon is nowadays considered the second definition of a Blue Moon rather than a mistake, according to Time and Date."


OverlappingChatter

So, could there be a blue blue moon?


CraigKostelecky

I bet there would be an eventual full moon that fits both definitions. That would be interesting to see if anyone has figured out.


OverlappingChatter

I dont know if it could happen mathematically. The first definition has to happen on 1st and 31st and the second would have to allow for another full moon before the 20/21st.


CraigKostelecky

I think you’re right.


ravs1973

Also a spring tide is just a very high tide caused by a close, full moon which causes the tide to "spring forward" and they happen all year. They have nothing to do with the season.


geraldanderson

When I was a kid my mom corrected our neighbor who claimed the moon literally turned blue with this information and it caused a bunch of drama. Eat a dick, Jane, you’re a fucking dumbass!


Sacezs

"Once in a blue moon" is a phrase that hints on the "rarity" of the phenomenon. Multiple times it's also just 2, it's can't be more, so the 2nd is the blue moon.


livestrongbelwas

The phrase is derived from the *actually* rare event of a volcanic eruption so massive that it filters out the red light in the atmosphere and makes the moon appear blue. It’s happened about four times since the 1883 eruption of Krakatoa.


AidenStoat

Technically it's the third full moon in a season that contains 4 full moons (which usually have 3). Twice a month is a commonly used definition in modern times, probably because it's easier to explain but it is not historically accurate.


OverlappingChatter

But that doesnt describe this last moon . . . eta - unless it is by meteorological season and not astronomical seasons ? Etaa - and even that doesnt work, cuz it would be the fourth moon of meterological summer. I also cant imagine that they would use meteorological seasons.


melody_elf

the reason there are so many different definitions is that there isn't any "they" defining this, it's just a colloquial tradition and not a scientific term


AidenStoat

The time between solstice and equinox.


[deleted]

so you’re telling me, it isn’t an advertising campaign for the beer?.. unfortunate missed opportunity for them lol


remclave

Several members of my Discord were under the same impression re: "blue". After I informed them that it meant two full moons in one month, and followed up by telling to do research to confirm my information since they were skeptical.


HotTestesHypothesis

A blue moon exists only because of how we defined a month and that the lunar month and a calendar month are not in sync. I never understood why it's interesting enough of a phenomenon to have its own name.


Bethorz

I think “it’s pretty uncommon” is reason enough to call it something. That said, definitely rolled my eyes a bit at the “super blue moon” thing knowing that a lot of people repeating it wouldn’t know what a blue moon was


Podo13

> I never understood why it's interesting enough of a phenomenon to have its own name. I don't think you're comprehending how boring nighttime was before electricity. Why not name things while all you were really able to do was looking up at the sky?


Bladestorm04

Anytime some news article tells.you about some special mon event, it's always an iverhyped waste of time. Even if the moon is the closest it's been all year, it's only varying by a few kms and you cannot notice that at the 300 000km distance it is. The problem with these bullshit moon titles is people specifically go to watch the moon as it rises, when it always looks bigger near the horizon, and believe it actually is bigger than any other full moon


Tiggy26668

Pretty sure if the moon ever turns blue then that’s what we’re calling a blue moon.


violetmoon120

Do they have a name for when you get paid three times in a month?


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Tutorbin76

Would that it were so. Unfortunately a lot of less educated people went out tonight expecting it to literally look blue. The term "blue" is meaningless anyway, since month boundaries are completely arbitrary (made up by us).


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Stanjoly2

Oh man. Me and my dog just finished putting the space ship together. Painted it a lovely shade of orange too...


Affectionate_Most_64

Dammit, and there goes my hopes and dreams to become the worlds biggest blue cheese dealer.


GreyFoxMe

Well a month is somewhat based on a moon cycle, thereby the name. Each month in the Sumerian calendar started on the full moon. The Roman Calendar, which is what our current calendar is based on, was probably a product of evolution from the Greek calendar, which in turn was derived from the Babylonian. >The Babylonian calendar was a lunisolar calendar with years consisting of 12 lunar months, each beginning when a new crescent moon was first sighted low on the western horizon at sunset, plus an intercalary month inserted as needed by decree. >In the 18th century bce the Babylonian empire standardized the year by adopting the lunar calendar of the Sumerian sacred city of Nippur. The power and the cultural prestige of Babylon assured the success of the lunar year, which began on Nisanu 1, in the spring.


krectus

“No one”…haha, welcome to the internet you’ll find that statement quite silly after being here for even just a short while.


idelarosa1

I thought it was colored blue 😞


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idelarosa1

Huh? No I figured it was because of atmospheric conditions. Like how the sky is usually blue. So like the moon normally appears white/yellow. But during a blood moon the sun is shining super hard on it or something so the moon appears bright red. I figured a blue moon was the opposite of a blood moon, meaning that due to atmospheric conditions or our view of the moon being angled away from the sun it appeared blue.


Cappylovesmittens

A blood moon is a lunar eclipse; the Earth is blocking the moon’s view of the Sun. The Moon looks red in this situation because the only light that reaches it passes through Earth’s atmosphere, giving it a color similar to Earth’s sunrises and sunsets.


livestrongbelwas

The phrase “once in a blue moon” is a reference to color though. Large volcanic eruptions filter out the red light in the atmosphere and make the moon look blue. It happens 3-4 times a century.


viktor_orban

>It’s not technically the 2nd full moon in a month, it’s the 13th full moon of the year. >Since the 12 full moons all have nicknames (Wolf Moon, Strawberry Moon, Harvest Moon, etc.) the 13th full moon is nicknamed the Blue Moon.


harrydreadloin

No shit.


redhalo

To be fair, when the moon is blue it's also appropriate to call it a blue moon.


r1ch999999

The Smurfs lied to me


OldHob

Gonna be the “well akshully” guy here… It’s not technically the 2nd full moon in a month, it’s the 13th full moon of the year. Since the 12 full moons all have nicknames (Wolf Moon, Strawberry Moon, Harvest Moon, etc.) the 13th full moon is nicknamed the Blue Moon.


ahecht

It's not the 13th of the year, it's the third full moon in a season that contains 4 full moons.


OldHob

Ahh thank you! I always wondered which of the moons was technically considered the Blue one in a year that has 13 full moons. Now I know!


The_Unspeakable_Aklu

All the silly moon names are dumb if you ask me. A full moon is a full moon, nothing remarkable about any of them except the "supermoon" which does look bigger to the eye.


wade9911

so the smurf are lies that song is bullshit and a bunch of scientist are jackasses for telling a fib about it.There needs to be a rule about naming stuff after colors if that shit not gonna be the color


Muscled_Manatee

*Appears to be blue. The moon is not a mood ring that changes color.


johnmarkfoley

this is a fact i learn every time there's a blue moon. i then forget it until the next blue moon.


l1ghtn1ngStr1k3

I have been lied to


EggersIsland

Someone listening to a certain Fantasy Football podcast this week?


necrow

Ha that was exactly my thought when I saw this. If they start talking about a harvest moon in the comments we'll know for sure


azulur

The phrase once in a blue moon? Do people really just go around not knowing this stuff lol Damn people stupid as complete fuck if you've spend your small lives thinking the moon is blue lol


[deleted]

And that's why astronomy clubs like the ones I'm with do outreach; because we know that not everyone knows that stuff and we believe in educating, not ridiculing. Be better.


qwoto

At least they don't post it on reddit like some kind of profound discovery


upvoter222

It also refers to [this song.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0fy1HeJv80)


Madlyfylingcows

Are you guys fucking stupid?


soomsoom69

I hate stupid science names. Just call it 'Consistently Full Moon'


[deleted]

But it’s not constantly full. It just happens to do a full cycle in a single month.


Bunnyhat

Good luck to your fantasy team this year lol


HeavyMetalOverbite

I wish the media had never learned about the twice-a-month "blue moon", so stupid. Very occasionally, volcanic ash in the stratosphere CAN make the moon appear blue, that's what 'Once in a Blue Moon' is all about.


Andy_LaVolpe

/:<


[deleted]

I have seen a genuinely darker moon with a slight blue hue though. Is this something else?


spiritbx

Then why blue?


adamcoe

All the moons look the same. Blue moon, blood moon, super blood metal wolf tiger moon, it always just looks like the moon. "But it's closer!" No, it isn't, not in any meaningful in terms of how it looks in the sky. 1.5 percent closer looks exactly the same. It's always just the moon. If you like the moon, sure, take its picture. But don't post it like the picture you took on *that* particular day looks different from any picture of the moon ever taken with a cell phone.


SubconsciousBraider

Today I learned grass is green.


Fitz911

Blue balls on the other hand...


vinnyj5

Have you ever heard the wolf cry to the blue corn moon? Or asked the grinning bobcat why he grinned? Can you sing with all the voices of the mountain? Can you paint with all the colors of the wind? -Pocahontas


griffonhaus

Also the subject of one of the best folk songs ever, sung by the great Nanci Griffith https://youtu.be/CUh7F66i6lc?si=HNbMUNhBWA4gHBP9


DocProctologist

Two full moons in one month. No more, no less.


Blew-By-U

I learned this 40 years ago. r/yearsilearned. lol


lurch940

Blue moon of Kentucky keep on shining


SurinamPam

So why call it a blue moon? Why not 2nd moon or something?


nicklor

I know it was super disappointing when I learned that


Scrotchety

Wait til you find out that Catholic twins aren't real twins


Meotwister

The real TIL is of course in the comments. Had no idea of the traditional meaning of blue moon. Here's additional context of you were like me and wondered why it's the 3rd moon of a 4 moon season. > But the interesting twist is that the blue moon is the third full moon in the season that has four. Why the third moon rather than the fourth, you might ask? That is because other full moons with other special names have to fall at their correct times of the year. This rule made it all work out on the calendar according to the almanac.


[deleted]

Hence the saying "once in a blue moon, meaning a rare occurrence.


dpforest

I feel like they happen all the time but that’s just because I’m 33 and starting to think about how long I’ll live 👁️👄 👁️


Mister_Dane

I heard if you put your healing crystals outside during the blue moon they will absorb the energy of the moon, you can also fill a mason jar with natural spring water and leave it out to harness some of the blue moon's power. Roflmfao


razengrapes

I need a blue paycheck.


fantomtraveler

Jeeeeeesus Christ


sebeed

I am disappointed and my day is ruined


cracksilog

OK this is a real TIL. Had no idea. Saw the blue moon a couple of nights ago and it looked super red. Turns out I didn’t know why it was called a blue moon. So why are they called blue moons, then?


ShermanBallZ

Well, specifically twice. If it comes 3 appears three times we are all royally screwed


asian_identifier

what if you're using lunar calendar


SurealGod

Another fun fact is due to the speed of light, whenever we see the moon, we're actually seeing where the moon previously was 1.3 seconds prior


gimme_dat_good_shit

It seems confusing until you realize that this is based on the old English Seuss Standard. As in One Moon, Two Moon, Red Moon... well, you get it.


fatDaddy21

If we're doing ridiculous TIL's again today (since a blue-colored moon isn't a thing), you may also be surprised to learn that the moon isn't made of cheese.


AppleDane

They blue it up! God damn them! God damn them all to hell!


BunnyTheCow

Could you explain blue balls now.


Nael5089

When the moon is actually blue in color it just means it blue itself.


dysfunctionalpress

there was a long-time bar in our town called the blue moon that started out as a hideout for al capone. it closed on dec31 1991, on a blue moon.


danofrhs

Moon: turns red A guy: “Lets call this a blue moon”


scoreboy69

baw witta baw bi dangey dang. No wait, thats now how that goes,, is it?


useroffline_

there’s a tattoo shop local to me called “Once In A Blue Moon” and they had a big event yesterday, didn’t realize there was actually a blue moon yesterday lol


[deleted]

TIL there are people who don’t know this. It isn’t rare happening about every three years, and is a popular topic in the news when happens


GreenPandaSauce

doesnt help that the articles use a blue moon photo and then don’t specify it isn’t actually blue…


Powersoutdotcom

Sexy sexy moon.