Blizzard warnings in Northwest Minnesota, winter weather advisories across the state

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This Saturday night, keep your eyes on the sky to catch the second, and last blue moon of the year.

A blue moon is defined as the second full moon occurring in the same month — so no it will not actually be blue. 

Not to say the moon can never look blue. According to 

, dust or smoke in the atmosphere can give the moon a blueish appearance as the 1 micron wide particles, which are about the same as the wavelength of red light, scatter red light and allow blue light to pass through. This most often occurs after forest fires or volcano eruptions.

Still, having two full moons in the same month is a rarity — you may have heard a common saying reflecting this. The Weather Channel reports the next blue moon rising in 2020, 

Snow is expected for much of the state on Saturday morning, but hopefully by evening you can find a break in the clouds and peep the rare full, if not actually blue, moon.

Here's some background music for the event:

Science

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Sara Porter

Author

Saturday is your last chance this year, in fact your last chance until 2020, to see the astronomical event known as a blue moon. So make sure you get out and see it -- even if it's standing alone, without a dream in your heart.

Saturday's blue moon will be the last until 2020

Go Deeper.

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