Dawn of a New Year 2010 and Once in a Blue Moon Affair

This picture was taken at 12:08pm in the afternoon of Jan 1st, 2010. Cloudy Skies now in front of my house in Klang, Malaysia. At this moment of updating my post, I am watching CNN and New York still has more than 55 min to go before the arrival of the new year. Everyone over there is so happy and in party mood. I had a quiet new year at home, spent in relaxation while watching others countdown on TV.

I took this picture of our full moon on Jan 1st, 2010, time: 12:42am, just after we welcome in the new year. It does not appear blue but rather yellow.

Once in a blue moon, the world get to witness a blue moon on New Year's Eve. Revellers ushering in 2010 in the USA, Canada, Europe, South America and Africa will view the blue moon on 31st Dec 2009, and is expected to occur at 7pm on Dec 31st, Universal Time (formerly known as Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).

I guess Malaysia will see the first full moon on Jan 1st, around 3:12am where there will also be a partial eclipse. The next full moon, i.e. our blue moon is expected on Jan 30th.
For the Western Hemisphere, the first full moon appeared on Dec 2nd, followed by Dec 31st. For Eastern Hemisphere friends, the first full moon will appear on Jan 1st folowed by Jan 3oth.
A full moon occurs every 29.5 days, and most years have 12. On average, an extra full moon in a month - a blue moon - occurs every 2.5 years. The last time there was a lunar double was in May 2007. New Year Eve's blue moons are rarer, occuring every 19 years. The last time was in 1990; the next one after this will come again in 2028.

Blue moons have no astromonical significance. The popular definition of blue moon came about after a writer for Sky & Telescope magazine in 1946 misintepreted the Maine Farmer's Almanac and labelled a blue moon as the second full moon in a month. The almanac defined the a blue moon as the third full moon in a season with four full moons, not the usual three. Though Sky & Telescope corrected the error decades later, the definition caught on.

Sources:
1. The Star publication dated 31st Dec 2009, titled 'Rare Blue Moon' Treat for Revellers.
2. Inquirer.net breaking news on 31st Dec 2009, article titled "Celestial Rarity: 2 Full Moons for RP in 2010".

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2010!

Today is City Daily Photo Theme Day for January 2010. The theme is "Changes".
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For more Skywatch Friday Season 4 Episode 25 pictures and to participate, please visit the Skywatch site. Skywatch was created by Dot and put in motion by Tom, who made it a huge success. Now it is hosted by Klaus with the help of Sandy, Wren, Fishing Guy, Louise and Slyvia.