Blue Moon and Micromoon Together in One Night: What Will Appear in the Sky on June 1?

The next appearance of the so-called “Blue Moon” is approaching, with the phenomenon expected to occur in the early hours of June 1. Despite its name, however, the Moon will not actually turn blue, as the term refers not to its color but to the way lunar cycles are recorded within the calendar year.

There are two different definitions of a Blue Moon. The older definition refers to the third full moon in a season that contains four full moons in total and is known as a seasonal Blue Moon. Later, a second definition became more common, originating from a misunderstanding of the original one, describing the second full moon within the same calendar month. The full moon occurring on May 31 falls into this category.

At the same time, this particular full moon will also be classified as a “micromoon” because the Moon will be at the farthest point in its orbit from Earth. As a result, it will appear slightly smaller in the sky than a typical full moon, with the difference becoming even more noticeable when compared with a supermoon.

According to astronomical data, a micromoon appears about 7% smaller than an average full moon and up to 14% smaller than a supermoon. The next seasonal Blue Moon is expected to occur on August 21, 2032.

The explanation lies in the length of the lunar cycle, which takes approximately 29.5 days to complete. Normally, there are 12 full moons in a calendar year. However, because 12 lunar cycles amount to about 354 days rather than the 365 days of a solar year, an additional 13th full moon periodically appears, which is designated as a Blue Moon.

Although the English phrase “once in a blue moon” is used to describe something extremely rare, the phenomenon is not particularly unusual from an astronomical perspective. In fact, February can never have a monthly Blue Moon because of its shorter length. In some years, it may not have a full moon at all, a phenomenon known as a “Black Moon.”

The Blue Moon will be visible in the early hours of Monday, June 1, at approximately 4:06 a.m. In the sky, it will appear near the red star Antares in the constellation Scorpius before moving into Ophiuchus.

There is, however, a genuinely blue-colored Moon phenomenon, although it is extremely rare. A notable example occurred in 1883 following the massive eruption of Krakatoa in Indonesia. Large quantities of ash were ejected into the atmosphere, acting as a light filter and giving the Moon a bluish or blue-green tint. Similar effects have been observed after other major volcanic eruptions, including El Chichón in Mexico, Mount St. Helens, and Mount Pinatubo.

“KORÇA BOOM”