Blue Moon July, 2015

There was a full moon on July 2 and last Friday, July 31, the second one appeared.  When there are two full moons in one calendar month, the second is described as blue.

The term blue moon,  has nothing to do with the color of our satellite,  but  refers to the succession of two full moons in the same month of the calendar, something which happens approximately every three years. In fact it is not blue. It is one full moon, like any other, of the same color as are most full moons: between pale gray, silver or milky white.  Here are two amazing photos of the Blue Moon.

People gathering to watch the blue moon rising over Glastonbury Tor.

  

Here, a group of friends pose like the Beatles as the moon rises above Penny Lane in Liverpool.

Read more:  Daily Mail 

The reason why it is possible to have two full moons in the same month is due to the fact that  the full moon cycle is approximately every 29.5 days.  If the full moon occurs the first day or the second of the month, it is more likely  that a second full moon would appear in the same month, what we would call a blue moon.

Does the Moon look blue?  In general, no. To make the moon appear with a  bluish tone copper, it  must be influenced by the ashes and smoke.  For example, in 1883, the explosion of the volcano Krakatoa (Indonesia) covered the clouds with ashes. The particles of ashes that absorbed a small amount of light tinted the atmosphere,  hence the moon could be seen as blue through the ash covered clouds.  Source:  Science Magazine Muy Interesante

The same was repeated in 1983, as explained from NASA, with the Mexican volcano El Chichón eruption. Source:  Hipertextual

Source of photo:  Hipertextual

We call the second full moon occurring in the same month as  blue Moon because of its rarity, as it is not an astronomical phenomenon that is usually observed.

The term Blue Moon actually had no scientific sense. James Hugh Pruett was the writer who baptized  the third full moon in a quarter that counted with four full moons.

Many cannot hear the expression without remembering a melody.  Blue Moon is also an American song by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, one of the many versions of a story by performers such as Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley.

Roses in Rosaleda Ramón Ortiz, Madrid

Let me share with you pictures of some beautiful roses from  the Rose Garden “Rosaleda Ramón Ortiz” on the edge of Madrid´s Parque del Oeste, which Ron and I visited yesterday. Every year they hold a contest in Madrid for the best rose. The public is invited to come and view the roses in the competition and an expert jury comes in to choose the winners. After a winner has been chosen, that plant is given a special place with a little plaque in the garden. You can, of course, visit the Rosaleda at any point during the year, although it is best to go in May, and the entrance is free to the public.

 

 

 

The gardens themselves are not very big, but there is a wide variety of roses. In this Rosaleda (Rose gardens), there are about 20,000 rose bushes, with about 600 varieties of modern roses (I had no idea that there were so many different types and colors of roses). 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is really a fun place to visit specially in the morning of a sunny, spring day like it was yesterday.  Surprisingly the sun presented itself with a halo with just the right brilliance to capture the gorgeous pinks, oranges and reds of the flowers.

There were several places to snap the perfect photo in the midst of the blending colors of the roses, several with the most delicate fragrance.

   

 

 

 

 

It is surely an artist´s playground. Overall, the gardens have a relaxing effect, especially as you sit under the canopy of green vines on one of the long benches contemplating the natural beauty, or anywhere else in the midst of the perfumed roses.

It has several fountains and a lily pond.

 

Although the Rose gardens might not be as well known or as frequented as the Botanical Garden located next to the Prado Museum, it has its own charm.  Whether you are a rose enthusiast, or just want to read a book in the shade or want to get a perfect photo, this place will be a peaceful  haven for you.

George William Curtis.- 

"The fragrance always stays in the hand that gives the rose". 

For me, a rose is a gift to the senses.