Date: Mon, 26 Apr 1999 16:25:42 -0700
Message-Id: <v01510104b34a2e8e20a0@[156.1.188.13]>
To: "Pinhole Listserv" <pinhole@exploratorium.edu>
From: rdelwic@muse.sfusd.k12.ca.us (Richard Delwiche)
Subject: Re: Pinhole Digest #169 - 04/25/99
>
>Subject: Re:Blue Moon?
>From: Daniel R DeFoe <defoes@juno.com>
>Date: Sat, 24 Apr 1999 05:39:36 -0700
>
>Did you all read a recent article about "Sky and Telescope" ? They
>"confess" that a publication by them 53 yrs ago incorrectly explained a
>Blue Moon as the second full in a month. Other "scientists" followed suit
>and the myth goes on. So what is a Blue Moon? NASA still has the original
>"wrong" definition on their web site-and They were there! Dan
>
Great article!
I'm glad to know someone else out there followed this piece of folklore
evolving. I remember as a kid the phrase simply meant rarely or never,
then sometime in the eighties this new meaning began being ascribed to it
and suddenly everyone was repeating it and explaining the
second-full-moon-in-a-month interpretation. I remember wondering that I'd
never heard it discussed then it was all over. I do suspect the appearance
as "Trivial Pursuit" question cemented the new definition.
Like many other things, you can go nuts trying to straighten people out
(I've watch several friends eyes glaze over as I tried to recount the
fascinating history of the way this "meme" was transformed and its rare
documentation as described in Sky & Telescope) or in this case you can
accept that language is fluid and we are witnessing evolution in progress.
Be seein' ya.
Richard
The enchantments of life lie solely in the great friendships we form.
- al Muhalhil
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
rdelwic@sfusd.edu Richard C. Delwiche
Phone: 415.749.3476
Math - Science - Art - Language
FAX: 415.563.8965
Learning Disabilities Specialist
Ben Franklin Middle School
1430 Scott St.
San Francisco CA94110