BLUE MOON (Syllabus: GS Paper 1 – Geography)

Context: On August 19, 2024, a stunning full Moon will light up the skies across various time zones around the world. This celestial event promises to captivate viewers globally.

Blue Moon

• About: The term “Blue Moon” has historically referred to the third full Moon in a season that has four full Moons, a relatively rare occurrence.
• Historical Definition: Originally, "Blue Moon" referred to the third full Moon in a season with four full Moons, a rare occurrence recorded as early as 1528.
• Modern Definition: Since the 1940s, the term also describes the second full Moon in a single calendar month, which happens because the lunar cycle is about 29.5 days.
• Frequency: Two full Moons in one month, or a Blue Moon, happens approximately every two to three years.
• There are two types of Blue Moons: Monthly and Seasonal

o A monthly blue moon is the second full moon in a calendar month, while a seasonal blue moon is the third full moon in an astronomical season with four full moons.

• Super Moon: It occurs when the moon's orbit is closest (perigee) to Earth at the same time it is full.
• Super Blue Moon: It is simultaneously a full moon, blue moon, and a super moon.

o Supermoons occur about 25% of the time, and Blue Moons about 3%, making a combination of both exceptionally rare, occurring roughly every 10 years.