blue Moon

views updated Jun 08 2018

blue Moon(blue Sun) The occasional appearance of the Moon or Sun when partly obscured by large particles in the atmosphere, as in dust storms, or following forest fires or great volcanic explosions. When the Moon or Sun is viewed through dust or smoke trails it usually appears to be very white, but when the suspended particles are predominantly of one size it sometimes appears blue, at other times green or orange. The phenomenon is attributed to diffraction, although no full explanation seems to be known. The smaller the particles, the more the colour of the Sun or Moon tends to the blue end of the spectrum. The phenomenon is believed to be more common in China than elsewhere. (In the neighbourhood of the 1883 Krakatoa volcanic explosion the Sun was seen as an azure blue sphere.)

blue Moon

views updated May 08 2018

blue Moon (blue Sun) Occasional appearance of the Moon or Sun when partly obscured by large particles in the atmosphere, as in dust storms, or following forest fires or great volcanic explosions. When the Moon or Sun is viewed through dust or smoke trails it usually appears to be very white, but when the suspended particles are predominantly of one size it sometimes appears blue, at other times green or orange. The phenomenon is attributed to diffraction, although no full explanation seems to be known. The smaller the particles, the more the colour of the Sun or Moon tends to the blue end of the spectrum. The phenomenon is believed to be more common in China than elsewhere. (In the neighbourhood of the 1883 Krakatoa volcanic explosion the Sun was seen as an azure blue sphere.)

Blue Moon

views updated May 29 2018

Blue Moon ★★½ 2000 (PG-13)

Marrieds Gazzara and Moreno take a trip to the Catskills and wish on the blue moon which, according to legend, will grant them a wish. Of course, exactly how that wish will come true may not be exactly as the couple would hope. 90m/C VHS, DVD . Ben Gazzara, Rita Moreno, Alanna Ubach, Brian Vincent, Heather Matarazzo, Vincent Pastore, Burt Young, Victor Argo, Lillo Brancato; D: John A. Gallagher; W: John A. Gallagher, Steve Carducci; C: Craig DiBona; M: Stephen Endelman.