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Hi Andrew,
It wasn't tongue in cheek but it could have been better expressed. The definition of blue Moon being two full Moons in one calendar month is the recent development. An article by Jame's Pruett titled "Once in a Blue Moon" was published in Sky and Telescope in March 1946.
The earliest use of a Blue Moon as the second full moon in a month stemmed from the March 1946 issue of Sky and Telescope magazine, which contained an article called “Once in a Blue Moon” by James Hugh Pruett. He wrote:
Seven times in 19 years there were — and still are — 13 full moons in a year. This gives 11 months with one full moon each and one with two. This second in a month, so I interpret it, was called Blue Moon.
The seasonal definitions do as you say go back much further. I should hae worded my reply more carefully.
Frankly, I don't get what all the fuss is about? There's nothing to look at that's any different to any other full Moon. The calendar is an artificial construct of man. The Gregorian calendar we use now is only about 400 years old. The second full Moon is called blue by virtue that it occurs within this artificially constructed calendar system of ours.
Occurring roughly once every three years and visible from most of the Earth, it isn't actually that rare compared to so many other phenomena.
On the other hand, the apparition of an aerosol refracted blue coloured Moon are very rare - now that's something I'd love to see one day.
Cheers
Joe
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