Black moon years. When February is without full moon, then the preceding January or December and the following March or April have two full moons. As with the case of two new moons in a month, whether a black moon by this definition occurs depends on the time zone. Calculated in UTC, instances of a month without full moon between 1990 and 2040 are: Another use of the term is for the absence of the new moon in a calendar month. This can occur only in February; it happens about every 19 years. When February is without new moon, then the preceding
Full moon is called a blue moon. The term "blue moon" used in this sense may date to as early as the 16th century, but it became well known in the United States due to the "Farmers' Almanac" (published since 1818). According to the "Farmers' Almanac", a "blue moon" is the third full moon in any period between either solstice and equinox, or between equinox and solstice, (calculated using the mean tropical year), which contains four full moons. These seasons are equal in length, unlike the astronomical ones, which vary in length depending on the Earth's speed in its elliptical orbit round