Once in a Blue Moon

December 29, 2009 4:57 PM

The first Blue Moon on New Year's Eve in twenty years. New Year's Eve marks a blue moon, that is, a full moon that occurs more than once in a calendar month. But wait, there's more!

There will also be a partial eclipse, which "will not be visible in North and South America, but will be visible over most of Europe, Africa, and Asia."

We've known about the ability to predict eclipses for a while, but what did the ancients think about them?

In case you want to prepare, here is a list of eclipses in 2010.

posted by Marie Mon Dieu (24 comments total)

Crap. Looks like I'll have to do all of those things I rarely do.
posted by brundlefly at 5:03 PM on December 29, 2009 [6 favorites]

Awesome!
posted by Lobster Garden at 5:03 PM on December 29, 2009

Just got a great free iPhone app called Moon Globe so I can watch this.
posted by fixedgear at 5:29 PM on December 29, 2009

That's no blue moon!
posted by lucidium at 5:31 PM on December 29, 2009 [8 favorites]

Oh jeez.
posted by vrakatar at 5:46 PM on December 29, 2009

I remember the one in 1989 - i was nine years old, living on the coast of North Carolina and there was a rather large flood.
posted by casconed at 5:57 PM on December 29, 2009

And a stork will deliver a new Smurf unto the village.
posted by jabberjaw at 6:06 PM on December 29, 2009

My poor, poor North American self.
posted by biochemist at 6:21 PM on December 29, 2009

Mmmm, time to fire up the Trinity Sessions.
posted by notsnot at 6:39 PM on December 29, 2009 [1 favorite]

Not the Blue Moon I was hoping for.
posted by OrangeSoda at 6:52 PM on December 29, 2009

Time to fire up the Big Star and the His Name Is Alive.
posted by FelliniBlank at 6:56 PM on December 29, 2009 [2 favorites]

Thank you, Metafilter.

New Year's Eve I will be playing a 90 minute solo piano set at a club where I've been playing for several decades now. With this new info, I will be playing the classic "Blue Moon" twice - maybe thrice - during my set. (Devotchka, a Klezmeresque rock band, is the headliner.) Since the club (the Mercury Cafe, in Denver) is run by a dedicated pagan astrology believer, it would be a gaffe not to do so.

Although I am pretty Ludditic, never Tweeted, making only twenty-thirty cell calls/texts a month (I have a teen daughter), and prefer point and click cameras, still, I can hardly remember what it was like before the Internets.
posted by kozad at 7:10 PM on December 29, 2009

I hope it's clear; the full moon on snow is an amazing sight. Happy New Year Mme. Mon Dieu!
posted by theora55 at 7:24 PM on December 29, 2009

*cracks kunckles* And I got my very own summoning alter for Christmas!
posted by The Whelk at 7:46 PM on December 29, 2009

Not the Blue Moon I was hoping for.

Hoping for a non-traditional greeting from Avatar's Na'vi?
posted by crossoverman at 7:53 PM on December 29, 2009

brundlefly: Crap. Looks like I'll have to do all of those things I rarely do.

Maybe you'd get around to them if you weren't so busy first-posting on Metafilter, mm? :)
posted by Greg_Ace at 8:38 PM on December 29, 2009

I hope it's clear; the full moon on snow is an amazing sight.

I hear it gives the luster of mid-day to the objects below.
posted by hippybear at 9:00 PM on December 29, 2009 [1 favorite]

Well, now I know what I'll be drinking that night.
posted by Shesthefastest at 9:57 PM on December 29, 2009

Thanks for this post. Reminded me to introduce my daughter to this song.
posted by lilywing13 at 10:41 PM on December 29, 2009

Time for Mama to dance naked again! WEEEE!!!
posted by czechmate at 6:08 AM on December 30, 2009 [1 favorite]

From Jack Horkheimer (win a telescope by howling at the blue moon):

O.K., we've got our skies set up for next Thursday night December 31st New Year's Eve, just after sunset facing east where you will see an exquisite 'blue', no color intended, full Moon rising. And if you remember all full Moons slowly climb the sky and reach their highest point at midnight, which of course this December 31st is when 2009 ends and 2010 begins, an event celebrated with great gusto all around the world. But this year you can do something very special when the Moon reaches its highest point at midnight which you won't be able to do again for 19 years. And that is something I did with a bunch of my neighbors in Miami 19 years ago in 1990.

You see I got all my neighbors together for a New Year's Eve 'howl in'. And from midnight until 12:30 we had a "full blue Moon howl-in-the-New-Year contest". Three judges picked the best and the winners received a brand new telescope. And I think it was the most fun New Year's Eve of my life. So 19 years later I'd like to do the same thing again only on a much bigger scale because I'd like all of you to be my "neighbors" and participate in the first international "Star Gazer, Ring-In-The-New-Year, Full Blue Moon Howl-in". All you have to do is organize a group of 12 people or more, have your own howling contest from midnight 'til whenever, pick your winners, perhaps award some prizes and then take a picture or video of your group and e-mail it along with your address to [e-mail].

In late January we'll select a dozen groups at random and each selected group will win a beginner's telescope. Go to jackstargazer.com for all the details, so get your group together and join the Star Gazer First International "Blue Full Moon-Howl-In-The-New-Year" celebration. Happy 2010! And keep looking up!
posted by 445supermag at 12:41 PM on December 30, 2009

Two hours ago the partial eclipse was visible from Israel, and it was an awesome experience to see our (!) shadow on an object so far away. Thanks for posting this!
posted by alona at 1:31 PM on December 31, 2009

Greg_Ace: "Maybe you'd get around to them if you weren't so busy first-posting on Metafilter, mm? :)"

But... but... but... that's all I have!
posted by brundlefly at 3:56 PM on December 31, 2009

Metafilter: It's all we have!
posted by Greg_Ace at 6:14 PM on December 31, 2009