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Seven uses of 'Blue Moon':
1. As an ABSURDITY. 'He would argue that the moon is blue!', as if to say, he would argue that black is white! Such expressions can be found in the literature of the 16th century.
2. NEVER. "I wouldn't be seen with him even if the moon
turned blue." This use was apparently common in the 1900's.
3. ACTUALLY IS BLUE. Seen against a blue sky in daytime or twilight, our eyes may see the moon as a bluish tint. Smoke or dust in the air can emphasize the blue or other color.
4. RARE. An actual blue moon color is fairly uncommon, so the term took on the meaning of rarity or, 'I only do this once in a blue moon'.
5. SADNESS, LONELINESS. Well, there is only one up there! It can and does console us when we are alone and blue.
Remember all the old song, 'Blue Moon, I saw you standing alone...'.
6. There is a drink, made from Blue Curaçao, called BLUE MOON
7. SECOND FULL MOON IN A CALENDAR MONTH. Because 11 of the twelve months have more days than the lunar cycle of 29 1/2 days, it is easily possible for a month to have two full moons. These happen irregularly because of the different number of days in months, but there are 7 'blue moon' months in the 19-year Metonic cycle (repetition of moon phases on nearly the same calendar dates).
The author, Philip Hiscock, traced the earliest published reference to the 'second full moon in a month' to the 1937 Maine Farmers' Almanac, (Charles E. Nash & Son, Augusta).
So, I'll leave it to you to let us know of any other uses of the expression BLUE MOON, and while you are about it, see if you can find an earlier reference in published literature to the SECOND FULL MOON IN A CALENDAR MONTH.
For a definitive explanation and account of two phases of the moon occurring in one month, please see Jean Meeus, Mathematical Astronomy Morsels, Willman Bell, Inc., PO
box 35025, Richmond, VA, 23235
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