Blue Moon?

Tonight, December 31, 2009, we will have a blue moon. 

Does that mean it will look blue? Not really. “Blue Moon” is an expression that we use whenever we have a second full moon in a month. 

What is a full moon? A full moon happens when the sun and moon are on the opposite sides of the earth so the sun lights up every part that faces the earth. 

How often do we get a full moon? It takes twenty-nine and a half days for the moon to revolve around the earth, so we get one full moon every twenty-nine and a half days. Since most of our months are 30 or 31 days, we get two full moons in the same month only about once every two and a half years. 

You might want to take a look at the moon tonight if you stay up late for New Year’s Eve. It will look the same as any other full moon, but we call it a “blue moon.” This happens on New Year’s Eve about once every twenty years. 

Genesis 1:14-18 tells us that God made the sun, moon, and stars to give us light and to mark the days, months, years, and the seasons. The moon causes the tides in the ocean and is important in many of the life cycles of animals in the ocean. When you look at the moon, think of the awesome God who created it and thank him for being so wise to work out so many things for us. 

© 2009 by Janice D. Green