Blue Moon Takes to the Sky Friday Night

Just as the moon isn’t made of cheese, it isn’t usually blue either, but on Friday the phrase, "once in a blue moon" will apply. August will end with the second full moon of the month.

The month of August started with a full moon, with the first one taking place on Aug. 1, and ends with the full moon Friday.

Modern folklore has dubbed the occurrence of two full moons in a month as a blue moon, according to the science website EarthSky.org. The blue moon happens only every two to three years. The next blue moon isn’t expected until July 2015.

The moon may be doubly blue Friday, which is when the funeral service for Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, is scheduled, according to Politico.

Armstrong died Saturday at age 82. A private service is planned for Armstrong in Cincinnati, Politico reported.

And, while we may call it a blue moon, it is only a term and the moon is not really blue (or made of cheese) though sometimes conditions like smoke can make it appear blue-colored, according to EarthSky.org.

WeatherBug forecasts Friday will be hot, with temperatures topping out at 95 degrees. A slight chance of storms is possible, but those are likely after 1 a.m., so the sky should be clear for blue moon viewing.

Other blue moon references include:

The phrase "once in a blue moon" dates back to medieval England and can be found in text dating back to 1528. At that time it mean something was impossibile.

Beer drinkers know Blue Moon, a Belgian-style wheat ale, is best served with an orange. 

There was actually a musical called Blue Moon, which was set in India during the British rule of the continent.

Blue Moon was a song written by Richard Rogers and Lorenz Hart. The song has been covered over the years by Mel Tormé, Elvis Presley and the Marcels. Watch a YouTube clip of various versions of the song.