15 mysteries of the blue moon’s rarity
The blue moon has captivated humanity for centuries, wrapped in layers of mystery that go far beyond its astronomical definition. Despite its name, this celestial phenomenon has nothing to do with color and everything to do with timing, folklore, and the intricate dance between our calendar and lunar cycles.
Most people think they understand what makes a blue moon rare, but the reality involves competing definitions, historical mix-ups, and cultural interpretations that span continents and centuries. Here is a list of 15 fascinating mysteries surrounding the blue moon’s rarity that reveal just how complex this seemingly simple astronomical event really is.
The Definition Confusion
The term ‘blue moon’ actually has two completely different meanings, and neither is particularly old despite claims of ancient tradition. The modern definition refers to the second full moon in a calendar month, while the older definition describes the third full moon in a season containing four full moons. What’s truly mysterious is that the popular monthly definition originated from a misinterpretation by amateur astronomer James Hugh Pruett in 1946, yet it became so widespread that most people now consider it the ‘real’ meaning.
The Invented Tradition Mystery
Despite being called ‘traditional,’ no occurrences of the seasonal blue moon definition are known prior to 1937. The Maine Farmers’ Almanac introduced this concept with a suspicious explanation about monks having trouble with their calendars and thirteen being unlucky. Researchers now suspect the 1937 article was a hoax, practical joke, or simply misinformed, making the blue moon tradition younger than most people’s grandparents.
The 400-Year-Old Absurdity
The earliest recorded use of ‘blue moon’ dates to 1528, but it meant something completely different—an obvious absurdity, like saying the moon was made of green cheese. A satirical pamphlet attacking church officials included the line about believing the moon was blue, using it as an example of ridiculous gullibility. The phrase ‘He would argue the Moon was blue’ was taken by 16th-century people the same way we’d take ‘He’d argue that black is white’.
The Missing Native American Connection
Contrary to popular belief, the blue moon concept does not come from Native American lunar tradition, as is sometimes supposed. This misconception adds another layer to the blue moon’s mysterious reputation, as people often attribute ancient wisdom to what is essentially modern folklore. The actual lunar traditions of indigenous peoples involved completely different naming systems based on seasonal activities and natural phenomena.
The Mathematical Rarity Pattern
Calendrical blue moons occur 7 times in every 19 years, following the ancient Metonic cycle. This means they happen roughly once every 2.7 years, making them predictable rather than truly rare. The mystery lies in why something that occurs every two to three years became synonymous with extreme rarity, when many other astronomical events happen far less frequently.
The February Impossibility
February will never have a monthly blue moon, as it only has 28 days in a common year and 29 in a leap year. Since there are about 29.5 days between full moons, February is simply too short to accommodate two full moons. Occasionally, February may have no full moon at all, a phenomenon known as a Black Moon, creating its own mysterious lunar absence.
The Krakatoa Connection
When the famous volcano Krakatoa exploded and lots of dust was sent into the atmosphere, it made for some very unusual skies, including blue moons. On very rare occasions, the moon actually can appear blue, if extreme wildfires or volcanic eruptions blast enough smoke or ash into Earth’s upper atmosphere. This creates particles roughly one micron wide that scatter red light while allowing blue light to pass through, making the phrase occasionally literal.
The Radio Wave Revolution
— Photo by AntonGarin
The modern blue moon definition spread rapidly after being featured on National Public Radio’s Star Date program in late January 1980. Within eight years, the concept had appeared in Trivial Pursuit and received widespread press coverage, demonstrating how quickly folklore can evolve in the modern era. This rapid spread surprised even researchers, as ‘old folklore’ it was not, but real folklore it became.
The Ecclesiastical Calendar Chaos
The identity of moons was important in the ecclesiastical calendar, with the Paschal Moon being crucial for determining the date of Easter. A year with a 13th moon skewed the calendar, since there were names for only 12 moons. The mystery deepens when you realize that there is no evidence that an extra moon was considered unlucky, or that it led to 13 being considered unlucky, or that the extra moon was called ‘blue’.
The Super Blue Moon Convergence
About 25% of full moons are Supermoons, but only 3% are Blue Moons, making their convergence into a Super Blue Moon extraordinarily rare. Blue Supermoons typically happen every 10 to 20 years, with the next ones expected in January 2037, followed by another in March 2037. This convergence creates a celestial event so rare that most people will only witness a few in their lifetime.
The Cultural Transformation Power
Ancient cultures saw the blue moon as a powerful omen, a harbinger of change, and an event that could alter the fates of those who witnessed it. Some modern magical traditions associate the Blue Moon with the growth of knowledge and wisdom within the phases of a woman’s life, specifically representing the elder years. In Native American folklore, the Blue Moon is a time when spirits and ancestors can be communicated with, and wishes can be granted.
The Atmospheric Deception
The moon appears blue so rarely under natural conditions that most people have never seen one. This has happened several times in history, such as during the June 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines, which caused the moon to take on a blueish-green hue in several places around the world. The mystery lies in how an event named for a color almost never displays that color, yet the name persisted for centuries.
The Time Zone Paradox
Depending on where you lived, 1993 had a ‘blue moon’ in either August or September—if you were east of a line running down the Atlantic Ocean, the blue moon fell in September; west of that line, the blue month was August. This reveals how the rarity of blue moons depends entirely on human-created calendar boundaries rather than any universal astronomical phenomenon, making their ‘rarity’ somewhat artificial.
The Modern Mythology Machine
In the last few years, Blue Moons have taken a grand place in today’s culture, from social media challenges to full moon-themed parties and gatherings. People are finding creative ways to celebrate with moon water, recharging crystals, and chanting affirmations. The mystery here is how an astronomical term with confused origins has become a focal point for contemporary spiritual practices and social media phenomena.
The Persistence of Popular Error
The new blue moon definition spread so quickly that by 1988, when it received widespread press coverage, everyone accepted it as ‘old folklore’. Across North America the blue Moon caught the public’s imagination, with restaurants, clothing stores, and bookstores opening under the name ‘Blue Moon’. The true mystery is how a 1946 misinterpretation became more widely known and accepted than centuries-old astronomical traditions, proving that sometimes folklore creation happens in real time.
When Rarity Becomes Routine
The most profound mystery of the blue moon might be how something occurring every few years became the ultimate symbol of rarity. While blue moons happen approximately every two to three years, making them predictable and relatively common in astronomical terms, they’ve maintained their reputation as harbingers of the impossible. Perhaps the real magic of blue moons isn’t in their astronomical mechanics, but in humanity’s endless capacity to find wonder in the patterns that govern our skies, even when those patterns are more regular than we’d like to admit.
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