BUFFALO, N.Y. — You'll want to turn your eyes to the southeastern horizon Saturday night to witness this month's full moon, which is also given a special designation of a Blue Moon despite being the only full moon this month.
Traditionally, a Blue Moon is known as the second full moon that falls within a calendar month. That was the case for the last Blue Moon, which rose on October 31, 2020. But not this time around!
Technically, there are two separate categories for which we can define a Blue Moon: monthly and seasonal. This upcoming Blue Moon falls into the latter of the two categories as it's the third of four full moons within a season. It's rare to have four full moons within one season, from solstice to next equinox.
To view this month's only full and Blue Moon, you'll want to look to the southeastern horizon starting around 8:15 p.m. EDT on Saturday, August 21. The moon will stay full through Sunday morning and even early in the evening when it rises again around 8:45 p.m. Sunday. After that, you'll have to wait three years for the next Blue Moon of this kind to arrive in August of 2024.
Forecast-wise, there will be some cloud cover this weekend, but there should be enough breaks in the clouds to get a view of this spectacular sight. This moon is also called the full "Sturgeon Moon," the nickname given to the full moon that occurs in August. According to folklore, the name refers to the type of fish, sturgeon, Native Americans would see this time of year.
And no, the moon does not turn blue or take on a blue color. Any photos of a moon that is blue were either taken with a special lens or edited to look so.