Tonight's Blue Moon Won't Come With An Orange Slice

<strong>Is it blue or gold? |</strong> Flickr/Stephen Little
<strong>Is it blue or gold? |</strong> Flickr/Stephen Little

It's not rare, it's not actually blue, and it's certainly not gonna come with an orange slice on the rim.

But if you look to the sky tonight, you'll see it -- an actual BLUE MOON. You know, the astronomical phenomenon with which we describe rare things that are probably much rarer than blue moons. In fact, a blue moon -- commonly defined as the second full moon in a calendar month -- occurs about every two or three years, or a tad shorter than the eternity implied by the saying. For perspective, presidential elections are rarer.

If you're hoping to see a full moon that actually appears to be blue, you'll have to wait for particles from a dust storm or volcanic eruption to refract blue light, which is pretty damn rare, according to The New York Times. However, if you're a fan of sweet Belgian-style wheat beers, blue moons probably happen all the time.

Tony Merevick is Cities News Editor at Thrillist and can't wait to see all the "spectacular" blue moon photos flood his Instagram feed. Send news tips to news@thrillist.com and follow him on Twitter @tonymerevick.