Black moon
 |
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (November 2010) |
In astronomy, the term black moon is neither well-known nor frequently used. As a consequence it has no accepted definition, but seems to have occasionally been applied to at least four different situations:
| Definition | Notes |
|---|---|
| 1. The second occurrence of a new moon in a calendar month.[1] | Cannot occur in February. Analogous to the common calendrical definition of a blue moon for months with two full moons. |
| 2. The third new moon in a season that has four of them. | Analogous to the Farmers' Almanac definition of a blue moon for seasons with four full moons. |
| 3. The absence of a full moon in a calendar month. | Can only occur in February, thus January and March will each have a second full moon (a calendrical blue moon). |
| 4. The absence of a new moon in a calendar month. | Can only occur in February, thus January and March will each have a second new moon (see definition 1). |
[edit] Other names
In myth and folklore the full moon of each month is given a name. In many cases the waxing moon and waning moon are also given names. There are many variations, but the following list gives the most widely known names:
- January - Wolf moon, Cold Moon, Chaste Moon
- February - Snow moon
- March - Sap moon
- April - Growing moon
- May - Flower moon
- June - Mead moon
- July - Hay moon
- August - Corn moon
- September - Harvest moon
- October - Hunter's moon, Blood Moon, Falling Leaf Moon
- November - Beaver moon, Mourning Moon
- December - Winter moon
The third full moon in a season with four full moons is called a blue moon, as described in the Maine Farmers' Almanac. Until recently it was commonly misunderstood that the second full moon in a month was the blue moon. However, it was recently discovered by Sky & Telescope magazine and reported on NPR that the interpretation of a blue moon as the second full moon of the month was erroneously reported in a 1946 issue of Sky & Telescope and then perpetuated by other media.[citation needed]
In some cultures, individuals whose birthdays fall on or near a harvest moon must provide a feast for the rest of the community.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Odenwald, Sten. "Is there a name for the second New Moon in a month?". Ask the Astronomer. http://www.astronomycafe.net/qadir/q1295.html. Retrieved 2008-10-08.
