Did You See the Blue Moon?

Star gazers, along with early morning joggers and workers received a real treat on Friday morning.

Thanks to the crystal clear skies overnight in the Sioux Empire, the cosmos provided us with our first "Blue Moon" in nearly three years at 5:45 AM earlier today (July 31st).

The last time we were able to witness a Blue Moon was back in August of 2012.

My buddy, Meteorologist Brandon Spinner over at KDLT TV says, "The reason the moon appears to be blue is because it is the second full moon in a given calendar month. Normally we have only one full moon per month, but every once in a while a second sneaks in. Full moons are separated by 29 days, and most months are 30 or 31 days long. That's why you'll never see a Blue Moon during the month of February. The event happens every two and a half years, on average."

There have been additional times when the moon does take on a bluish hue according to Spinner. That is due primarily to smoke or dust particles in the atmosphere, such as during a cataclysmic volcanic eruption.

The most recent blue moon that was truly blue in hue was in Edinburgh, Scotland, in September 1950. According to CNN: "Astronomer Robert Wilson of the Royal Observatory observed the event and concluded that the moon was blue in color because the satellite's light was traveling through a patch of clouds that had particles of smoke and ash from forest fires burning in Alberta, Canada. Those particles crossed the Atlantic Ocean and hovered over Scotland during the lunar event, creating a rare spectacle, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.”

If you were still sawing logs like me earlier this morning when the Blue Moon was visible, you won't get another opportunity to take a gander at one again until January 2018.

One thing is for sure, it won't be quite as comfortable standing outside and watching it then!

Source: KDLT TV