The last Blue Moon that we'll see until 2015 is up in the sky until Wednesday morning. It's not really blue. The phrase "blue moon" for many people commonly refers to a rare second full moon in a month, although the U.S. Naval Observatory in Washington, while noting disagreement among the public, describes it as, " ... the third full moon to in an astronomical season in which four full moons fall." This kind of moon appears only once every three years, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.So call it what you will-- blue corn moon works for me-- it was spectacular.
And then to finish off August with a sky show, we got one of those spectacular sunsets which is fairly rare in our part of the Pacific Northwest. This sunset kept revealing new dimensions. As we looked across our farm to the west.
The explanations for why we get a gorgeous sunset once in a 'blue moon' are many, but it doesn't seem obvious to me other than the right amount of smoke or dust in the air as well as interesting layers of clouds to reflect the colors. That air quality has played havoc with my sinuses in August but gotta say it was beautiful when the sun got hold of it.
Sometimes we just have to remember to look up!
10 comments:
Nice moon shots.
If I had to guess why pretty red sunsets are rare in your part of the Pacific Northwest, I would say it's probably because of your prevailing winds. A red sunset needs particulates (dust, smoke etc) in the sky. With prevailing winds off the ocean, there are few particulates. I am assuming that your prevailing winds ARE off the ocean. Here in the East, our prevailing winds bring plenty of particulates, so red sunsets are not rare. Particulates can be due to pollution or natural sources, so a red sunset doesn't necessarily mean bad things are in the air.
Also, Mark, sometimes our clouds at the horizon are too heavy. I think that's why last night was a dud. I thought maybe we'd get a repeat, but the sun went down with no show. Our winds come from varying directions as we are about 30 miles from the Coast with hills in between. We are in the first inner valley in the Coast Range after you leave the Willamette Valley.
Here in Nor Cal a red sunset typically means forest fire or maybe orchard harvest dust season.
In the late 40's and early 50's in Berkeley California, I remember many colorful sunsets. Could it be the latitude and the angle of the sun light?
Maybe, Diane. I know Arizona gets a lot of them. I wonder about eastern Oregon. I've seen some gorgeous sunrises and sunsets down at Klamath Lake but that is a bit further south.
That Moon is GORGEOUS!!! I haven't been able to see it---it's been too overcast here these nights....It makes for some cooler weather, but we miss this stunningness!
And the Sunset pictures are Gorgeous, too....Nothing like these two amazing gifts, is there?
I had a Blue Moon party one year - blueberries, bleu cheese, Blue Moon beers....
Thanks for the photos; we had cloudy skies that night :(
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love the idea of a blue moon party ;)
And I would love to invite you to one!
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Fabulous shots. We did have one spectacular sunset in Seattle, but our view was obstructed by buildings. The moon has been wonderful, though.
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