While celebrating the approach of a new year, remember to glance upwardly and search for the moon. Take a good look because what you'll see won't reveal itself again until 2028.
What you'll be witnessing on the eve of 2010 will be a blue moon, a phenomenon that has nothing to do with the color of our closest celestial neighbor. It will simply be the second full moon of the month.
A full moon occurs every 29.5 days, and most years have 12. On the average, an extra full moon in a month — a blue moon — occurs every 2.5 years. The last time there was a lunar double take was in May 2007. New Year's Eve blue moons are rarer, occurring every 19 years. The last time was in 1990.
The New Year's Eve blue moon will be visible in the United States, Canada, Europe, South America and Africa.
Source: Associated Press
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