ARTICLE: Blue Moon
By Ranjan Bhaduri
Dec.29, (THAINDIAN NEWS) The recent hullabaloo about the possibility of a Blue moon on New Year’s eve has turned out to be a damp squib. It is not going to take place, at least not in Australia as the web sites and newspapers assumed. The possibility has been ruled out by the leading astronomers. Probably it started when some enthusiastic people misinterpreted the occurrence of a sophomore full moon in a month with blue moon. This phenomena happens once in every two or three years. However, the moon does not undergo any change in its color. According to the lunar calender, a blue moon will be seen on New Year’s Eve. However, its timing is 7:13 p.m. according to the GMT and not as per Australia’s time.
The Australians will get to see the moon on the dawn of 1st January. This means it will not be termed as a blue moon. It is not common place to get the moon, earth and sun in a straight line. After the New Year’s eve, the Australians will get the chance to witness a blue moon on January 30. However, for them February would be a month sans a full moon. It will be succeeded by another Blue moon in March. It was in 2007 when the Australians got to witness their last Blue moon.
The Blue moon is a celestial event that is eagerly awaited by the people interested in astronomy. While the residents of Australia will not get to see blue Moon on Dec 31st, people in UK will have the advantage over them owing to their location and time difference.
ARTICLE: Once in a Blue Moon on New Year's Eve
Sydney, December 28 (ANI): On New Year’s Eve this year, party hoppers have another reason to rejoice, as they would be able to witness a ‘blue moon’, which would be visible after a gap of 20 years on the last day of the year.
A blue moon - the second full moon in a calendar month - happens only every 2 and half years on average.
According to a report in The Age, there will be a blue moon on Thursday, December 31, as New Year’s Eve revellers welcome in 2010. This would be the first time since 1990 that a blue moon has coincided with the end of the year. Astronomer David Reneke from Australasian Science magazine said it was rare for the event to happen on New Year’s Eve. Another blue moon will not fall on the last day of the year until 2028.
“‘While everyone’s celebrating, they should also take a moment and look up into the night sky,” Reneke said. The event has an added significance, as it comes just months after the world celebrated the 40th anniversary of man landing on the moon in July.
“What a great finish to the year,” Reneke said. “We haven’t been up there since 1972, so it’s a good time to have a look and wonder what the decades to come will bring,” he added.
But the moon won’t turn blue. If anything, Reneke said it could turn red when viewed from cities because of the filter effect of smoke from fireworks. “It’s not impossible that the fireworks will change the colour of the moon,” he said.
The phrase “blue moon” has become a metaphor for a rare event.
Read more: http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/health/once-in-a-blue-moon-on-new-years-eve_100295500.html#ixzz0bIqb4wTv
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