Magical things happen once upon a Blue Moon. And this Thursday we get a chance to find out just what those magical things as we watch the rare lunar event coincide with all the beautiful fireworks of New Year's Eve.
Blue Moon is the term applied to the second full Moon in a calendar month. It's an event that occurs roughly every two and a half years. This Thursday's blue Moon is far rarer than that though, because it's happening right on New Year's Eve—a coincidence that happens only about once in every twenty years.
No, the Moon doesn't actually turn blue. It's just the term used to describe this lunar event.
December’s Full Moon is traditionally known as the Old Moon, or the Moon after Yule. And on New Year's Even we’re going to call it Blue. No matter what it is referred to, it is still a lovely sight to watch it rise in its grey-scale glory and glide across the luminous night sky. But for some lucky viewers in much of Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia the Old Blue Moon after Yule will also partially eclipse!
Only a very small portion of the Moon's southern limb will be in the Earth's umbral shadow, but there will be a noticeable darkening visible over the Moon's face at the point of greatest eclipse. Need more? Then know this eclipse is the one of four lunar eclipses in a short-lived series. The lunar year series repeats after 12 lunations or 354 days. Afterwards it will begin shifting back about 10 days in sequential years. Because of the date change, the Earth's shadow will be about 11 degrees west in sequential events.For the eclipse, the duration of the partial phase will last within two seconds of a hour long, while the penumbral duration from beginning to end will run about four hours and eleven minutes. Penumbral contact will begin at 17:17:08 UT and umbral contact at 18:52:43 UT. The moment of greatest depth of shadow will occur at 19:22:39 UT, 31 December 2009. It will be visible from all of Africa, Europe, Asia, and Australia.
source; gizmodo, universe today all rights are reserve
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