Is Yule also a Blue Moon...by Mistake?
Back in November Basinah left me a comment sharing an article about the possibility that the December moon is a Blue Moon. How is that possible, you ask? Read on!
The Little Known Rule
The article at Yahoo! News Canada explains that there is an additional yet little known rule that makes a moon a blue moon. It seems that the July 1943 issue of Sky & Telescope referenced an August 1937 edition of the Maine Farmers' Almanac regarding a question about blue moons. It explained an unknown rule regarding blue moons. Whether or not this rule is actually a mistake is debatable.
While we all know about the second moon in a month rule, it explained there is also a rule that says there is generally only 3 full moons to a season. However, when there are 13 moons in one year, one season is going to get an extra moon. That moon is also considered a Blue Moon. Sounds logical, doesn't it?
It's All in the Timing
It's All in the Timing
I was excited when I first read this, because I hadn't yet realized that the Full Moon falls on the Winter Solstice. When I realized the moon lands on Winter Solstice I was a little disappointed. Winter Solstice is of course the beginning of Winter, meaning that the Full Moon might not be the fourth in autumn at all but the first in winter.
It comes down to timing.
It comes down to timing.
The Full Moon occurs on December 21, at 3:15 AM according to the almanac. The almanac says Winter Solstice occurs on December 21, at...drum roll please...6:38 PM.
So according to this rule, the December moon is a Blue Moon but by only about 15 hours.
Is this Blue Moon Rule Anywhere Else?
It is exciting, but I'm not sure I'm really ready to call the December full moon a Blue Moon just yet. After all, this was one little article in a 1943 issue of Sky & Telescope that referenced the 1937 Maine Farmers' Almanac. It seems kind of silly to deem so much more power to an already incredibly powerful moon with little to go on.
I found an article on this blog, but it referenced the same article that I did. I found nothing else on the subject.
So, in the end, if you want to follow this unknown rule from Maine and call the December full moon a Blue Moon, go right ahead. However, since it's already a full moon and lunar eclipse on Winter Solstice/Yule, the extra power boost really isn't necessary.
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