A full moon is set to rise today, Aug. 20, but it will also be a Blue Moon, despite being the first full moon of August according to astronomers.
A Blue Moon is commonly known as the second full moon in a calendar month, but technically speaking a full moon will qualify as a Blue Moon if it is the third full moon in a season of four full moons according to SPACE.com.
Click here to view the full moon live.
The confusion all started when a 1946 article in Sky & Telescope magazine defined a Blue Moon as the second full moon in a month. The magazine has since said the declaration was a "mistake" however, but the error has stuck.
Full moons take place once every 29.5 days on average according to SPACE.com.
A full moon occurs when the moon is directly opposite the sun from Earth's perspective. The next Blue Moon isn't expected to occur again until 2015.
You can also technically call this week's full moon a Full Sturgeon Moon, Green Corn Moon, Full Red Moon, or a Grain Moon, according to SPACE.com.
The Full Red Moon is also accepted because "the weather and atmospheric conditions during this season can often make the moon look reddish when it rises through a haze."
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