Ebony Moon: New Year's Eve 2005

http://spaceweather.com ^ | 12/29/2005

[lainie]

What's Up In Space

EBONY MOON: According to modern folklore, when there are two Full Moons in a month, we call the second a Blue Moon. Question: what do you call it when there are two New Moons in a month?

It's about to happen. On Dec. 31st, New Year's Eve, the moon will be new for the second time this month. (The first time was Dec. 1st.) Double new moons occur about once every 2.5 years, the same frequency as Blue Moons.

There's no widely accepted name for a second New Moon, so we asked SpaceWeather readers to suggest one. Hundreds of names were submitted. Our staff voted and here are the favorites:

• Honorable Mention--Double Dark Moon, Dark Blue Moon, Astronomer's Moon
• Runner-up--Monkey Moon (from the verb "to monkey," which means to imitate), suggested by Henk Bril of the Netherlands.
• The Winner--Ebony Moon, suggested by Troy Silvey of Atlanta, Georgia.

The next Ebony Moon is due on August 30, 2008.

[lainie]

[lainie]

Combined with the extra-second added to 2005 story, I'm starting to feel scaaairt.

[Brooklyn Kid]

What if they're late by a second when they add the second?

[lainie]

Also there will be a long meteor shower display visible from Scotland with the new year:

"spectacular display of Quadrantids meteors and a rare chance to follow Venus as it switches from our evening to morning sky around the Sun's near side."

[lainie]

They won't be late by a second because they're the government(s). They never make mistakes.

[AbeKrieger]

Ebony moon has racist undertones and I am deeply offended.

[Waco]

Brokeback Mountain Moon???

[Babsig]

Ebony and Ivory....Together in perfect harmony...
Hated that song and hate this new name.

[Professional Engineer]

That's no moon.

[Westlander]

Backdoor Moon.

[lainie]

I'm also deeply offended. Let's hunt Troy Silvey of Atlanta GA down, and burn him at the stake.

[lainie]

I agree, it's not good. It does, however, beat Monkey Moon.

I'd have gone with Hidden Moon, or Long Moon. Naught Moon. Goodnight Moon. Frat Boy Moon. Something.

[AbeKrieger]

I'm also deeply offended. Let's hunt Troy Silvey of Atlanta GA down, and burn him at the stake.

Glad to know someone doesn;t take it too seriously.

[Babsig]

I wonder what ancient astrologers called a double new moon. surely, somewhere in history it was called something. I'll have to do some research - Persians, Mayans, somebody must have already named this.

[Tanniker Smith]

Never been any need to name a second new moon -- probably because new moons don't have names. All twelve full moons have names. And the 13th is the Blue moon.

[Salamander]

A bad moon a'risin'?.....:)

[Mr_Moonlight]

Ebony and Ivory....Together in perfect harmony...

Another suck-up lame Paul McCartney song (or just plain sucks, take yer choice) ... otherwise, an Ebony fretboard on a guitar is a beautiful thang, especially when played alongside with a set of 88 Ivory keys :)

[eyespysomething]

LOL!

[tet68]

No, no , no, this is what happens when things get transliterated.

They really meant a Ebonic Moan.

[Mr_Moonlight]

YO, homie ....