Astronomy & Observing News

The Moon Is "Blue" This Wednesday...Or Is It?

If skies are clear this Wednesday, you'll see the full Moon — but it's not the "true" Blue Moon.

Rising Moon

Observing

Where Does the Phrase "Once in a Blue Moon" Come From?

We'll see a "blue Moon" next Friday, but what does that mean? From the Middle Ages to the game of Trivial Pursuit, a folklorist explores the origin of the phrase.

Rising full Moon

Observing

What Is A Blue Moon in Astronomy?

Is Friday's full Moon "blue"? Depends on who you ask, but if someone answers yes, it's because of a mistake in a 1946 issue of Sky & Telescope.

Astronomy Questions & Answers

When's the next blue Moon?

When's the next blue Moon? To read the full story with a schedule that shows all blue Moons through 2020, see our article "What is a Blue Moon?" Here's the abbreviated version: In 1999 Sky & Telescope admitted to its “blue Moon blooper,” an error that had crept onto the…