Blue Over The Moon

This is a special New Year's, we have a blue moon - which I can't see at all - because of time zones only the Western hemisphere will see it - but it's just fantastic knowing it's up there. It's not truly blue of course, but at times appears to be as a result of the bluish halo caused by ice particles high up in earth's atmosphere. After Krakatoa erupted in 1883 it stayed a deep blue for months - smoke and dust can tint objects in the sky. Who cares, we're addicted to the idea!You probably remember the reason: if a month has two full moons, the second is considered a blue moon. It happens pretty rarely, once in a blue moon you might say (o geez) but actually, it comes out to about 41 months in each century. Not that often, so very special - and when we have one seeing in a new year like this, it all ties in nicely with predictions of every kind. Here's some interesting facts:

Our concept of the blue moon began with a mistake in a magazine article. Of all publications, Sky & Telescope in 1946 published a story that described it as the second of two full moons in one month - they based their decision on the 1937 Maine Farmers Almanac but misinterpreted its meaning. Instead of being counted as an extra full moon in a month, it was counted as an extra one in a season! It was finally corrected when someone noticed the gaffe in "Trivial Pursuit" now who'd have guessed?The phrase "blue moon" however, is much older than this astronomical definition and originally had nothing to do with the rarity of two full moons in a month. 400 years ago, a blue moon meant something absurd and clearly untrue, and the average 16th century human would argue "Never in a blue moon" if he thought something was impossible.

Another famous superstition is that it's the only time a woman can ask a man for his hand in marriage. How sweet! Give the guys a break now and then.

About, say - once in a blue moon?