Blue Moon of May 21, 2016

June 20, 2016

Oldbluemoon (2)

Photographer: Niko Laurila
Summary Authors: Niko Laurila; Jim Foster

Shown above is the full Moon rising over Old Porvoo, Finland, as observed just after sunset on May 21, 2016. This was a blue moon but not in the physical sense. Blue moons can appear bluish because of smoke particles, for instance, that scatter out the longer wavelength colors (reds, oranges and yellows) of moonlight, rendering a soft blue light. However, the term blue moon also denotes a lapse in time. The second full Moon in a month is called a blue moon because it happens infrequently, on average about once every 33 months. Moreover, the true astronomical meaning of blue moon refers to the third full Moon in a season having four full Moons. The Moon on May 21 was such a moon.

Photo Details: Camera Model: NIKON D610; Lens: 150.0-600.0 mm f/5.0-6.3; Focal Length: 600mm (35mm equivalent: 600mm); Aperture: ƒ/8.0; Exposure Time: 0.0080 s (1/125); ISO equiv: 500; Software: Adobe Photoshop CC (Windows).