Friday Night Sky Once in a Blue Moon

Something will happen Friday night that hasn’t happened since March 2010, and all you need to do to see it is look up at the sky. In addition to it being a full moon on Friday, it will also be a blue moon, which means its the second full moon of the month.

Blue moons are not actually blue, and the term obtained its current definition in a serendipitous series of events in which an astronomer misinterpreted the meaning of blue moon — and it stuck, the New York Times reported.

A private funeral service will be held for Neil Armstrong on Friday. The Slooh Space Camera program will dedicate an online broadcast of Friday’s blue moon to Armstrong.

Earlier:

Slooh will simultaneously broadcast a live stream of the blue moon from an observatory in the Canary Islands off the coast of Africa and a live stream of the sun from an observatory in Arizona, a press release stated.

“[This will give] viewers a unique opportunity to view both the moon and sun at the same time — all live in real time and in true color,” the press release stated.

Bob Berman, an astronomer and columnist with Slooh, stated the broadcast would celebrate Armstrong’s life.

“This blue moon that Slooh will explore Friday night is somewhat rare, but not as rare as the courage and talent of the late Neil Armstrong, the first human to set foot on our nearest celestial neighbor,” Berman stated. “To honor him, Slooh will explore the Sea of Tranquility with its Canary Island 20-inch telescope, live, and have guests who will reveal some of the lesser-known secrets of that historic 1969 event. I think many of our visitors will be in for quite a surprise.”

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