Over Pittsburgh, it was a blue moon
August 31, 2012 8:41 am
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Carrying its catchy nickname that brought so much attention, the blue moon is caught this morning over Dormont not long before it set.
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Though it didn't actually appear blue -- far from it, in fact -- the full moon setting this morning drew a lot of attention from the media and residents simply because of its catchy nickname.
The second full moon of the month, called a blue moon, was visible overnight, though the official time of it reaching its full phase wasn't until 9:58 this morning after it had set in Pittsburgh.
Because the moon orbits Earth once about every 29 days, it's possible for two full moons to occur in a calendar month. The last full moon was Aug. 1.
Next month's full moon also has a catchy nickname. When it reaches full at 11:19 p.m. Sept. 29, we'll be seeing the harvest moon.
And the next blue moon? Not until 6:43 a.m. July 31, 2015.
Pete Zapadka: pzapadka@post-gazette.com; 412-263-1857. Twitter: @pzapadka
First Published August 31, 2012 8:40 am
First Published August 31, 2012 8:40 am
