With partly to cloudy skies and a 40% chance of snow tonight, many Missoulians may miss the rare occurrence of tonight's Blue Moon. According to U.S. Naval Observatory Astronomical Applications Department the full moon will be present over Missoula, MT at 12:14pm on Thursday, December 31 and will set again at 9:08am January 1st, 2010.
A blue moon is defined as being the second full moon in any given calender month, except for February, when the lunar cycle is not long enough. Blue moons occur approximately every 2 1/2 years. However for a Blue Moon to occur on December 31st, well, that is a rare occasion. The Blue Moon of this New Year's Eve only occurs every 19 years. Which means a Blue Moon on New Year's Eve will not occur again until the year 2028.
If you do get a peak at Missoula's Blue Moon of New Years Eve, 2009 be sure to take a picture. Because you won't see one like that again on New Years Eve for quite a long time.
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