A RARE “blue moon” is on its way, a fitting wink to Neil Armstrong by the cosmic calendar.
When you hear the words “Blue Moon,” what comes to mind? Some may say the popular 1935 song written by Richard Rodgers & Lorenz Hart. Others may say they think of the common idiom of something occurring “once in a blue moon” which means a rare occurance. But after tomorrow, many will instantly think of the legendary space pioneer, Neil Armstrong.
The upcoming lunar event will be the first of its kind since 2009. The blue moon phenomenon occurs when there are two full moons within a calendar month. The 2012 blue moon is due to occur on Friday, the day of a private service for Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, who died last Saturday in Ohio at age 82.
The full moon cycle is 29.5 days, so a blue moon is uncommon and is theorized to mean something rare. Even though the moon does not actually appear blue, it is still an incredible thing to witness. The blue moon will occur on August 31 for South America, North America, Europe Africa, Asia, India and Australia. New Zealand will miss out as the full moon occurs just past midnight on September 1st.
The next blue moon will occur in July of 2015. For those who wish to pay tribute to the man who achieved the impossible & inspired people around the world, Armstrong’s family has asked for a special act during Friday nights event…Simply, look to the moon & give the astronaut a wink!