Blue Moon to light up Friday night sky

Photo from science.nasa.gov

MANILA, Philippines – A Blue Moon will rise in the night sky Friday night, the second full moon in August.

The Blue Moon will rise 15 minutes before sunset, the astronomy.co.uk said. The second full moon in a month is called Blue Moon.

However, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration said a Blue Moon was not literally blue in color.

“Most Blue Moons look pale gray and white, indistinguishable from any other Moon you’ve ever seen. Squeezing a second full Moon into a calendar month doesn’t change the physical properties of the Moon itself, so its color remains the same. With that caveat in mind, however, be aware that on rare occasions it can happen. A truly-blue Moon usually requires a volcanic eruption. Back in 1883, for example, people saw blue moons almost every night after the Indonesian volcano Krakatoa exploded with the force of a 100-megaton nuclear bomb. Plumes of ash rose to the very top of Earth’s atmosphere, and the Moon … it turned blue!” Nasa said.

The state weather bureau Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said the moonrise Friday would be at 5:49 p.m. and sunset at 6:09p.m.

The next Blue Moon will be on July 31, 2015.