The late folk rock singer Nick Drake immortalized the pink moon in his song of the same name, but the blue moon currently reigns supreme. Those heartbroken and standing alone — or luckier lovers stargazing with someone — were treated last night to the fabled orb made famous by the classic Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart tune.
“Although it will not look blue,” NASA.gov said of Monday night’s event, “this will be a blue moon.”
Two full moons in a month constitute a “blue moon.” The term is also used for the third full moon in a season with four, according to NASA. The full moon that began Aug. 19 is a seasonal blue moon.
Credit: John Spink
Credit: John Spink
As an extra added bonus from the cosmos, last night’s moon was a supermoon, meaning “a new or full Moon that occurs when the Moon is within 90% of its closest approach to Earth,” NASA says. Earthlings will enjoy four such moons starting now and continuing in September, October and November.
This blue moon was, indeed, about as rare as the old saying “once in a blue moon” implies.
“About 25 percent of all full moons are supermoons, but only six percent of full moons are blue moons (seasonal and monthly),” according to NASA. “The time between super blue moons is quite irregular — it can be as much as 20 years — but in general, 10 years is the average.”
So what’s a pink moon? It’s any full moon in April, about the time pink creeping phlox flower blooms appear in North America.
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