Prepare to be underwhelmed: tonight’s ‘blue moon’ will look like any other

If you look up tonight and expect to see the moon turn blue, you may be disappointed.

While most calendar years will only feature twelve full moons, every two to three years another full moon will occur within the same month as the previous – this is what is known as a ‘blue moon’.

While the moon will be at its brightest for the second time this month, it will unfortunately not be turning a shade of blue.

The term was originally coined around the turn of the 20^th century in the Maine Farmers’ Almanac to describe the appearance of a fourth full moon during a single season, rather than three.

This definition was later misinterpreted in a 1940s astronomy article, leading to the modern popularised definition.

While the moon itself never changes colour, it will very rarely appear to be washed in hues of red or blue - fierce bushfires or volcanic eruptions can deposit ash and other debris into Earth’s atmosphere, affecting the colour of moonlight.