History of Full moon in Timeline
The full moon is the lunar phase that occurs roughly once a month when the Moon appears fully illuminated from Earth's perspective. This happens when Earth is positioned directly between the Sun and the Moon, causing the near side of the Moon to be fully sunlit and appear as a circular disk.
1918: Publication of "The American Boy's Book of Signs, Signals and Symbols"
Daniel Carter Beard's book, "The American Boy's Book of Signs, Signals and Symbols", published in 1918, presented a list of full moon names attributed to Native Americans, although these names differed from previous publications.
1937: Maine Farmers' Almanac Publishes Spurious Full Moon Names
In 1937, the Maine Farmers' Almanac published a list of fabricated full moon names, claiming they were attributed to early English ancestors.
March 1946: Misinterpretation of "Blue Moon" Definition
In March 1946, an article in Sky & Telescope magazine incorrectly stated that the Farmers' Almanac defined a "blue moon" as the second full moon in a month with two full moons. This misinterpretation resulted from an insufficient review of past almanac issues.
1950: Blue Moon Phenomenon After Swedish Forest Fires
In 1950, an unusual blue moon phenomenon was observed following forest fires in Sweden. The blue color is caused by dust and smoke particles in the atmosphere.
1951: Blue Moon Phenomenon After Canadian Forest Fires
Similar to the previous year, 1951 saw another instance of the blue moon phenomenon, this time following forest fires in Canada. The blue hue is attributed to the presence of dust and smoke in the atmosphere.
1955: Farmers' Almanac Publishes Native American Full Moon Names
Starting in 1955, the Farmers' Almanac, published in Maine, continued the tradition of publishing Native American full moon names. This practice contributed to the popularization of these names.
1968: First Feast of the Hunters' Moon
The first Feast of the Hunters' Moon, a yearly festival in West Lafayette, Indiana, was held in 1968. This festival celebrates the Hunter's Moon, which is the full moon following the Harvest Moon.
1980: Blue Moon Following Mount St. Helens Eruption
After the eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980, a blue moon was observed. Volcanic eruptions, like forest fires, can release particles into the atmosphere that cause the moon to appear blue.
1983: Blue Moon Following El Chichon Eruption
The 1983 eruption of El Chichon in Mexico also resulted in the moon appearing blue. This further supports the connection between volcanic eruptions and the blue moon phenomenon.
1983: Comparison of Mean Solar Points and Astronomical Dates
In 1983, a comparison of equal-length mean-solar solar points and actual astronomical dates was presented. This analysis highlighted the variations in the length of astronomical seasons due to Earth's elliptical orbit.
1991: Previous Harvest Moon Coinciding with Autumnal Equinox
The previous instance of the Harvest Moon coinciding with the autumnal equinox occurred in 1991, marking the beginning of a Metonic cycle.
1991: Blue Moon Following Mount Pinatubo Eruption
Yet another volcanic eruption, this time Mount Pinatubo in 1991, led to the observation of a blue moon. This recurring phenomenon highlights the impact of volcanic eruptions on atmospheric conditions.
1992: Publication of "Mysteries of the Moon"
In 1992, Patricia Haddock's book, "Mysteries of the Moon", provided a comprehensive list of full moon names, associating them with specific Native American tribes. The book suggested that some names were adopted from Algonquian languages while others originated from European tradition.
1999: Retraction of Erroneous Full Moon Rule
In 1999, Sky & Telescope magazine published an article retracting a previously established rule about full moons, declaring it erroneous. The article then presented a corrected rule based on the order of seasons.
January 2000: First Full Moon of 2000
In January 2000, the first full moon of the new millennium occurred. This event marked the beginning of a new cycle of lunar phases.
December 2000: Study on Full Moon's Impact on Dog Bites
In December 2000, the British Medical Journal published two studies investigating the correlation between the full moon and dog bite incidents. One study reported increased dog bites during full moons, while the other study found the opposite.
2000: Formula for Calculating Full Moon Time
In the year 2000, a formula was developed to calculate the approximate time of a full moon. This formula takes into account the number of full moons since the first one of the year 2000 and allows for an estimation of the full moon occurrence.
September 2007: Special Harvest and Hunter's Moons with Shortened Time Between Moonrises
The Harvest and Hunter's Moons in September 2007 were unique due to a high lunar standstill. This resulted in a shorter time difference between moonrises on consecutive evenings, extending the period of twilight and moonlight for harvesting.
2010: Harvest Moon Coincides with Autumnal Equinox
In 2010, the Harvest Moon coincided with the autumnal equinox for the first time since 1991. This rare occurrence marked the end of a Metonic cycle, a period of approximately 19 years.