‘Once in a Blue Moon’ it happens on New Year’s Eve

Elvis sang about it when he crooned “Blue Moon you saw me standing alone.” Bill Monroe sang and played about it in “Blue Moon of Kentucky.” There is even a popular catch phrase about it; “Once in a Blue Moon.” And this year, we were privileged to experience it on the very last day of 2009. Although for most of us in the Leon County area, it was obscured by cloud cover.

A full moon occurring twice in one month is called a “blue moon.” The phrase “once in a blue moon” simply reflects the rareness of a twice occurring full moon.

A blue moon isn’t all that rare. The moon is full every 29.5 days, or about 12.4 times per year. To make up for the extra days, a blue moon happens every 2.7 years. A blue moon will occur in August 2012 and the next blue moon to shine on New Year’s Eve will be on 2028.