Community Corner
Last Blue Moon Until 2015 Occurs Friday in Maple Grove
A blue moon will shine down on Aug. 31, 2012. A few events near Maple Grove give people an opportunity to share the event together.
Like a cosmic red carpet, a blue moon will be rolled out on Friday to honor the first man to walk there. Neil Armstrong will be laid to rest on Aug. 31, the same day as the rare blue moon.
Armstrong died Saturday at age 82, and a private service is planned in Cincinnati, Politico reported.
On Friday the phrase "once in a blue moon" will apply. According to EarthSky.org, a blue moon is the occurrence of two full moons in one month. August's first full moon was on Aug. 1.
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Maple Grove residents can enjoy the rare sight at Elm Creek Park Reserve or at nearby . Or, simply enjoy a at Town Green as they show Dolphin Tale Friday night.
The blue moon happens only every two to three years; the next one isn’t expected until July 2015.
Find out what's happening in Maple Grovewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The lunar event may be called blue, but it doesn't actually change color. According to NASA, the term "blue moon" came about because smoke from an Indonesian volcano eruption in the 1800s caused the full moon at the time to look blueish. "Some of the ash-clouds were filled with particles about 1 micron wide--the right size to strongly scatter red light," NASA said in an article on their website. "White moonbeams shining through the clouds emerged blue, and sometimes green."
The National Weather Service says Friday night will be partly cloudy, so the sky should be fine for blue moon viewing. The moon will be at its fullest at 8:58 a.m. central time, according to the Farmers' Almanac.
If take pictures of the event, be sure to add them to the Patch photo gallery here.
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