Rare blue moon tonight

SF Gate Nwas ^ | October 31, 2001 | David Perlman, Chronicle Science Editor

[concerned about politics]

If rain doesn't dampen the parades of trick-or-treaters tonight, they will see an unusual moon that's been celebrated for centuries, plus a cluster of stars of legendary spookiness.

Earth's shining satellite tonight is called a blue moon, although when it rises just after sunset it could look more like a fat bright orange -- a jack- o'-lantern perhaps, turning white as it climbs high in the sky, and fading away as it sets toward sunrise.

[concerned about politics]

Ooooo. Now that's spooky. I understand the Bin Ladin religion is based on the worship of a moon God?
The FBI warning is for the next 48 hrs. What are the odds?

[EggsAckley]

Last time I saw a blue moon it actually WAS blue. Turned white and got smaller as it rose.
Stunning.

[Nouge]

plus in the mind of a terrorist what a better day to hurt the "Great Satan" then on what I'm sure they call "Satan's Holiday"

[Diddle E. Squat]

From what I understand, blue moons are not that uncommon outside of eskimo taverns.

[Night Hides Not]

I can't wait for the Nostradomous fanatics to correlate the 'blue moon' to the 'blue turban' worn by the third 'anti-Christ'! Thanks for the warning!

I've wondered why Saddam or Osama haven't tried to play that card.....

[concerned about politics]

Bin Ladins group worshiping the moon, and the liberals worshiping the earth. Both rock worshipers. What's next?
Some humans are getting pretty strange these days.

[Cincinatus]

Blue Mooon...you left me standing alone.......

[concerned about politics]

I see a lot of holes. Is that where Afganistan used to be?
If it's a picture of the moon, how come it doesn't look like...cheese?

[Utopia]

Actually, it depends on your timezone. For those living EST, the fullmoon officially occurs November 1, 00:36 (36 minutes after midnight). If you were living in Greenwich, the Full Moon would be on October 31. For EST people, they will get their Blue Moon in November, as the 2nd Full Moon in any month is always the Blue Moon.

Of course, if you poke your head out the window the moon looks full enough to the naked eye, but it technically is not "full" until 00:36 November 1, EST.

[Billthedrill]

Bing Quock? Uh...Crosby had a brother?

[ReleaseTheHounds]

According to Paul Harvey earlier this week, this Blue Moon on Halloween is the first since 1955. While I'm sure that Observatory has great expertise in such things, I'll trust Mr. Harvey on this one.

[LarryLied]

All the technical stuff aside, what a blue moon really means is that females who have sex during a blue moon will find contentment and happiness they never knew existed.

That is the truth.

[vrwinger]

If you were living in Greenwich, the Full Moon would be on October 31.

Isn't the full moon over Greenwich at 5:36 AM, Nov 1? In the US, everyone except the Eastern Time Zone gets the full moon on Oct. 31...

[Utopia]

I've wondered why Saddam or Osama haven't tried to play that card.....

The Islamic month is New Moon to New Moon; a month is either 29 or 30 days long. Year length is either 354 or 355 days long. As their month is strictly lunar, and as they go from New Moon to New Moon, I don't think there could ever be the situation where one of their months would encompass 2 Full Moons. I know little about their feasts, but am unaware of any festival surrounding the presence of the Full Moon.

Christianity, on the other hand, uses the Full Moon to calculate the presence of Easter. The actual calclation of Easter is:
First Sunday AFTER the First Full Moon AFTER the Spring Equinox.

[Saundra Duffy]

This gives me the creeps. For victory & freedom!!!

[Nouge]

I can't wait for the Nostradomous fanatics to correlate the 'blue moon' to the 'blue turban' worn by the third 'anti-Christ'

About 3 years ago I saw a video about Nostradomous and it gave me chills then. The video was filmed in 1979 and I recently re-rented it and my chills were multiplied by 10. I don't know if it was Nostradomous that was right on or the people who filmed the video but it pretty much painted the picture of today. Everything from the Israel/Palestinian issue to US and Russia becoming allies (keep in mind the video was filmed during the cold war so it seemed so far fetched then)The only thing they mentioned about WW3 that hasn't happen is nuclear destruction.

[Utopia]

Isn't the full moon over Greenwich at 5:36 AM, Nov 1? In the US, everyone except the Eastern Time Zone gets the full moon on Oct. 31...

You're absolutely RIGHT! I was going the wrong direction!

Ok, Full Moon is still November 1, 00:36 for EST people. Its the west coast people wil see it on the 31st.

Sometimes I don't know my left from my right, my up from my down ... you get the drift. ...

[concerned about politics]

All the technical stuff aside, what a blue moon really means is that females who have sex during a blue moon will find contentment and happiness they never knew existed.

QUICK!.... NEED A BABYSITTER....FAST!

[concerned about politics]

LarryLied

Oh mannnn.