If the skies are clear tonight where you live, you’ll have a chance to see an unusual astronomical phenomenon: a full moon for the second time in one calendar month. It’s called a blue moon, although the moon won’t actually look blue. More like a light tan. Still, the rare occurrence—which happens only every two or three years—is a metaphor for anything that happens, well, once in a blue moon.
Not only is this a blue moon, it’s a seasonal blue moon, because there will be four, not the usual three full moons during one season. It’s like getting an extra scoop of ice cream for free.
But wait, there’s more! This blue moon is even more special, because it’s also a supermoon, which appears to be larger than normal, because the moon is closer to the Earth than normal.
Super blue moons are even rarer than seasonal blue moons. According to NASA, the next convergence of a blue moon and a supermoon won’t happen until January 2037.
The peak convergence was last night, Monday, but the phenomenon will still be visible to the naked eye through early Wednesday morning.
All of which is to say, in addition to record heat, crazy extreme weather, and more than enough to worry about, Nature also brings us some beautiful, unexpected gifts. Savor the magic.
Evelyn Herwitz blogs weekly about living fully with chronic disease, the inside of baseballs, turtles and frogs, J.S. Bach, the meaning of life and whatever else she happens to be thinking about at livingwithscleroderma.com. Please view Privacy Policy here.
Image: Kian Lem
Thanks for the heads up–literally!
I just wish the skies had been clear and we could have seen it!