Máistir Nádúraí: Blue Moon Hype!

7.31.2015

Blue Moon Hype!

This is what the Full Moon looks like from Earth:

It doesn't matter if it's a Super Moon, Blue Moon, Strawberry Moon, etc. This is what it looks like. It may be imperceptibly larger, or smaller, but it always looks like this when it's full and sufficiently above the horizon. Ignore the media hype, but enjoy the Moon!

As my friend John Rummel wrote:

The "truth" about the blue moon: there's no such thing. Full moons occur every 29.5 days. There are 365.25 days in a year. If you do the math, that means there are slightly more full moons per year than months, on average (about one extra lunar phase cycle every 3 years or so). If you accept the definition of blue moon as the second full moon of a calendar month, then you can see that it's just a mathematical reality that this MUST happen about once every three years or so because of the length of our months. There is NO astronomical, mythological or horological significance. NONE. Then there's the fact that this use of the phrase "blue moon" is very recent, so there's even no historical significance. It just seems to be an excuse to blow up Facebook newsfeeds every now and then.

Bio:

Mike McDowell has been documenting southern Wisconsin’s flora and fauna since 1987 and began leading field trips in 2002. Prolific at Pheasant Branch Conservancy, other highlighted natural areas include Pope Farm Conservancy, Spring Green Preserve, and the Baraboo Hills. His nature photography has appeared in various publications, newspapers, magazines and was even featured on a Wisconsin Endangered Resources license plate, a Capital Brewery beer label, and a National Geographic publication. He began journaling nature observations on this blog in 2005. He's the recipient of the 2012 Bronze Passenger Pigeon Award from the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology, presented to individuals who have made outstanding contributions in their local communities or state to promote the field of ornithology. He was a finalist in Swarovski’s Digiscoper of the Year photography contest several times. His other interests include insect macro-photography (especially tiger beetles, treehoppers, and robber flies), fossil collecting, amateur astronomy, botany, natural history, and marksmanship with long-range rifles. Once a gigging musician, collecting Fender Stratocasters is a recently revived interest—most prized being a 1957 Vintage Custom Shop 'Mary Kaye' White Blonde. A former IT Professional, he's spent the last 24 years employed in the sport optics industry.