Blue moon

A blue moon is an additional full moon that appears in a subdivision of a year: either the third of four full moons in a season, or a second full moon in a month of the common calendar.

The phrase has nothing to do with the actual color of the moon, although a literal "blue moon" (the moon appearing with a tinge of blue) may occur in certain atmospheric conditions: e.g., when there are volcanic eruptions or when exceptionally large fires leave particles in the atmosphere.

Definition

The term has traditionally referred to an "extra" moon, where a year which normally has 12 moons has 13 instead. The "blue moon" reference is applied to the third moon in a season with four moons, thus correcting the timing of the last month of a season that would have otherwise been expected too early. This happens every two to three years (seven times in the Metonic cycle of 19 years). The March 1946 issue of Sky & Telescope misinterpreted the traditional definition, which led to the modern colloquial misunderstanding that a blue moon is a second full moon in a single solar calendar month with no seasonal link.

Blue Moon (disambiguation)

A blue moon is an astronomical phenomenon.

Blue Moon may also refer to:

Literature

Music

Albums

Songs

Film and television

Blue Moon (Steve Holy song)

"Blue Moon" is a song written by Gary Leach and Mark Tinney, and recorded by American country music artist Steve Holy. It was released in April 2000 as the second single and title track from his debut album Blue Moon. The song peaked at number 24 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart and reached number 47 on the RPM Country Tracks chart in Canada.

Critical reception

Deborah Evans Price of Billboard gave the song a negative review, calling it a "lackluster ballad that fails to help Holy distinguish himself from the pack." Price wrote that Holy "has a pleasant voice, seasoned by performing on the competitive Texas music circuit, but somehow this record just doesn't take off."

Chart performance

Year-end charts

References

Once in a Very Blue Moon

Once in a Very Blue Moon is singer-songwriter Nanci Griffith's third album. The sounds have become a little more country and a little less folk than her previous albums. Her first two albums were backed sparsely with instrumentation, but starting with this album, the whole complement of country-styled instrumentalists can be heard. Noted country musicians performing on the album include banjo player Béla Fleck and champion fiddle player Mark O'Connor. The title song was covered by Dolly Parton, who included her version on her Real Love album in 1985.

The track order was different on MCA vinyl MCG 6054 with track 11 being omitted.

Track listing

All tracks composed by Nanci Griffith; except where indicated