The new year arrived with a blue moon shining in the clear, cold winter sky. Of course, the moon was not actually blue in color but it was the second full moon to occur in December, 2009. Over the years, there have been a number of definitions for a blue moon, including the second full moon in a calendar month and one of four full moons (usually the third) to occur within a season. Due to its variable definition, some kind of blue moon will occur in about three of four years.
Such designations, infused with mythology, imply that the moon's orbit is somehow disrupted, perhaps by supernatural powers, to produce the "extra" event. This, of course, is an illusion; the lunar cycle is not changing, although our lone, natural satellite is gradually moving further away from the Earth. Rather, the occurrence of blue moons reflects the inexact nature of the human calendar.
Once again, man has a tendency to view nature from his own, self-important perspective. When events occur that don't fit our expectations (based on our brief life experience and limited understanding) we infuse them with mystical significance. For many, "unnatural" events are reassuring, providing evidence that there is a spiritual world beyond our physical Universe.
