But on November 19, 2021, we were treated to a partial lunar eclipse. This type of eclipse occurs when Earth moves between the sun and the full moon, but they don’t exactly form a straight line. If the weather conditions are favorable, half of the moon will appear in the sky with a reddish glow.
very rarely
Does this well-known expression have anything to do with the moon? Well, it does. We use it to refer to something that happens very rarely and a blue moon is a rare occurrence.
A monthly blue moon is the name given to a second full moon that occurs in a single calendar month and usually only happens once every two to three years. In 2020, the Hunter’s Moon was a blue moon on October 31 as it is the second full moon in October.
A seasonal blue moon describes the third of four full moons in an astronomical season.
There are also many other moons – how many do you know?
Full moon
We all know what these are. They come every month and light up the sky at night.
New Moon
Sometimes known as the invisible phase, as it generally cannot be seen in the sky. It is when the sun and moon are aligned, with the sun and earth on opposite sides of the moon. As a result, the side of the moon that faces Earth is left in complete darkness.
black moon
Most experts agree that this refers to the second new moon in a calendar month, while some use the term to describe the third new moon in a season of four new moons. The last black moon occurred on August 19, 2020.
blood moon
Also called a total lunar eclipse. It’s when Earth’s shadow casts a reddish glow on the moon, the result of a rare combination of an eclipse with the closest full moon of the year. There was one in the UK in January 2019, and the next will be visible on May 16, 2022 over South America, North America and parts of Europe and Africa. Space fans in the UK won’t be able to see every phase of this eclipse, but should be able to see it in its entirety when the moon appears with a reddish-orange glow.
What is a supermoon?
Ever looked up to the night sky to see a full moon so close you could almost touch it? Well, you’ve probably spotted a supermoon.
The impressive sight happens when a full moon is at the point in its orbit that brings it closest to Earth. To us earthlings, it appears up to 30 percent brighter and 14 percent larger.