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You are here: Home / astronomy / Blue Moon {InstaScience}

Blue Moon {InstaScience}

May 19, 2016 by Paige Hudson

A Blue Moon is rare and amazing, but it is not actually blue. Click on over to this InstaScience post to learn more about what a Blue Moon really is.

Did you know that a Blue Moon is not actually blue? And that there are two definitions for what a blue moon actually is?

The more modern definition of a blue moon says that it only occurs when there are two full moons in a calendar month. Since a full moon occurs about every 29 days, it’s bound to happen. According to this definition, the next Blue Moon will occur in January of 2018.

But there is another definition of a Blue Moon. One that says if there are 4 full moons in a season, instead of the usually three, then the third full moon is a blue one. According to this definition, the next Blue Moon will occur on the 21st of this month.

So, dust off your telescopes and get ready for the fourth full moon sighting of this season!

Fun Fact – The moon sometimes does appear to turn blue, but only when light is filtered through the smoke produced by a volcano or forest fire.

Teaching Science at Home

Want to learn more about blue moons? Check out the following articles:

  • See a “Blue Moon” (along with Mars) on May 21
  • What is a Blue Moon? Click here to learn more about Blue Moon from Space.com
  • {Video} Watch and listen to a song about the Moon Phases

Related Homeschool Science Activities

Keep the learning going with these science activities!

  • Learn about moon phases while eating Oreo cookies with this edible moon phases activity.
  • Check out this Moon Spotting activity for the budding young scientists.

Filed Under: astronomy, instascience, nature study, teaching science at home Tagged With: fall, instascience, night sky, spring, summer, winter

Welcome to the Elemental Blogging Laboratory

 
profile picWelcome to the Elemental Blogging Laboratory, a.k.a. the Eb Lab. Here at the lab, I have the pleasure of sharing with you all my passion for mixing up solutions for homeschool science! My name is Paige Hudson. I am a homeschooling mom and science curriculum writer for Elemental Science.
 
Why do I call this blog the "Eb Lab"? It is because I am scientist at heart and by profession, so it pretty much spills into everything I do. I love to share tips and tools with fellow educators as they seek to share science with their students!
 
That is what this blog is all about. One homeschooler to another, sharing her area of expertise, seeking to support you as you teach your students about the wonders of science.
 
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So, grab a cup of coffee and notebook, and head on in to the Eb Lab to gather tools for homeschool science, tips for homeschooling, and the latest Elemental Science news!
 
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