I know that the second full moon in a month is called a "blue moon". What is the second new moon in a month called?


Hello John,

In the days when Old English was the language of choice in England,
the period from one new moon to the next was called a month, and every
month was bounded by two new moons! In some Islamic calendars today,
months are still defined this way.

But as far as I know there is no official name for a modern standard
Gregorian calendar month in which two new moons fall.

Since naming such a universal phenomenon would affect people 'round
the world, a name would be "official" only if ratified by the
International Astronomical Union. If you wanted them to officially
name a new object that you personally discovered, you'd probably do
it. But in this case I suspect you would find them hard to convince.

Best wishes,
-Neal.

>The second full moon in a month is called a blue moon. What is the
>second new moon in a month called?
>
>If it does not have a name, how can I officially name it?


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