LOS ANGELES — Once in a blue moon there is one on New Year’s
Eve. Revelers ringing in 2010 will be treated to a so-called
blue moon. According to popular definition, a blue moon is the
second full moon in a month. But don’t expect it to be blue –
the name has nothing to do with the color of our closest
celestial neighbor. A full moon occurred on Dec. 2. It will
appear again on Thursday in time for the New Year’s countdown.
“If you’re in Times Square, you’ll see the full moon right above
you. It’s going to be that brilliant,” said Jack Horkheimer,
director emeritus of the Miami Space Transit Planetarium and
host of a weekly astronomy TV show. The New Year’s Eve blue moon
will be visible in the United States, Canada, Europe, South
America and Africa. For partygoers in Australia and Asia, the
full moon does not show up until New Year’s Day, making January
a blue moon month for them. However, the Eastern Hemisphere can
celebrate with a partial lunar eclipse on New Year’s Eve when
part of the moon enters the Earth