The blue moon or "flower" full moon will illuminate the sky in May. When exactly will we be able to observe it and what are its characteristics?
According to NASA blue moon it is not the rarest phenomenon, but it is not even among the most common. It appears somewhere for two and a half years. This is where the English term comes from "Once in a blue Moon" (once at the Blue Moon).
What is a Blue Moon anyway?
In this case, "blue" does not refer to the color of the Moon, as it does, for example, in the case of a blood Moon. The term "blue moon" means that in one calendar month the full moon appears twice. But there is not only a "monthly" blue moon, but also a seasonal one. This is an older term referring to the occurrence of the third Full Moon in one season. Each season - winter, spring, summer, autumn - we usually have three full moons, and thus a fourth appears. So the third Full Moon in this case is marked as an Anomaly Moon.
When does the "flower" blue moon appear?
The full moon that will be in the sky May 18, 2019, is so special this year because it will be a seasonal Blue Moon. And since it will appear in May, the Blue Moon will also be a "flower" Moon this year. Each first full moon of the month has a special title, depending on the calendar month. The first full moon in April is said to be called the "Worm Moon" (worm moon), and the first full moon in January is the "wolf moon" (wolf moon).
To catch the blue moon, you need to look at the sky on May 18 precisely at 23.11. At that time, the Moon will be at its maximum and will be exactly 180 degrees of ecliptic longitude away from the Sun.
