Pictures this good only come round once in a blue moon: Glorious images of second full moon in a month which won't happen again until 2018
- Spectacular images show people gathering in Glastonbury to watch the event that could be seen around the world
- 'Blue moon' refers to when a full moon occurs twice in a calendar month - not the colour of the Earth's satellite
- The moon does not appear blue, but is its usual silvery grey colour, so it looks like a regular full moon
- It was the first blue moon since August 2012 and there won’t be another for three years, until January 31, 2018
These stunning photographs could only be captured once in a blue moon - quite literally.
Stargazers gathered around the world to watch the astronomical phenomenon, when a full moon occurs twice within one calendar month.
The spectacular display, the first to take place since 2012, was spotted across Britain and the world - and won't happen again for another three years.
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Around the world people have gathered to see the blue moon in all its glory - the occasion only happens once every three years
Stargazers gathered to watch the blue moon as it transcended over Glastonbury Tor in Somerset with a clear blue sky
The moon was still visible as the sun rose at Glastonbury Tor (left) - proving that blue moons are rarely blue - while the Statue of Liberty seems like the secondary attraction to the bright moon last night in New York (right)
The morning after the blue moon in Somerset. It will be another three years before there is a blue moon visible from the Earth
The blue moon rises behind the dome of the US Capitol, currently being refubished, in Washington DC on the evening on July 31
The blue moon rising behind Brooklyn, seen from LIberty State Park in Jersey City, New Jersey, USA. Blue moons are not as rare as other celestial events, but there won’t be another for three years, until January 31, 2018
From shots of statues reaching out to grasp a celestial disc to images of iconic landmarks, stargazers have captured the rare 'blue moon' on camera. This image shows the full moon over Staten island, New York
The impressive lunar display was also photographed over Newquay, where the 'blue moon' appeared to glow red over the sand dunes
Stargazers from around the world were able to see the spectacular display, including this visitor to Lake MIchigan in Milwaukee
These arty photographs of a dandelion (left) and people on a ride at the Worlds of Amusement Park (right) silhouetted against the moon, were taken in Kansas City
The Eurotunnel terminal, which has experienced trouble in recent weeks, is illuminated by a rare blue moon on Friday night in Folkestone
The bright moon - almost resembling the sun in this photo - as a plane passes through the New York skyline on its way to New Jersey
The blue moon - reflected in the water - is seen hanging over canal boats and woodland in Upton Kyke, Norfolk
The moon rises behind the Alvorada Palace, designed by Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer, in Brasilia, Brazil
Leaves are silhouetted against the moon in Taguig city, east of Manila, Philippines. Right, as seen over Camlica Hill in Istanbul, Turkey
This incredible picture taken in Kuwait City shows details of the surface of the moon, as it appeared last night
Blue moons are not as rare as other celestial events, but there won’t be another for three years, until January 31, 2018.
Anyone hoping to see a dazzling sapphire orb crossing the sky will be disappointed, however, because a blue moon is usually a silvery grey.
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Last night's lunar phase fits the calendar definition of ‘blue’ because there was another full moon on July 2.
Blue moons are due to the difference between calendar and lunar months.
Fireworks explode as the blue moon rises in the distance at Worlds of Fun amusement park in Kansas City
Clear skies allowed for these remarkably clear images of the moon to be taken in Tirana, Albania, last night
The so-called 'blue moon' as it is the second full moon of a calendar month, rises behind the weather vane atop the Original Congregational Church in the center of Wrentham, Massachusetts
A view of the full moon rising over the homes of the village of St Breward, Cornwall, taken from a junction on the B3266
An American Airlines passenger airplane from Miami crosses the blue moon over Whittier, California as it heads towards Los Angeles
Amazing photographs from last night show people gathering to watch the blue moon rising over Glastonbury Tor on Thursday night
The spectacular lunar display is so rare it only happens once every three years, when two full moons appear in the same calendar month
While the blue event is of interest to astronomers, it is of more significance to astrologers, who say blue moons mark a time of upset
Blue moons are due to the difference between calendar and lunar months, but also create great photo opportunities. Here, a group of friends pose like the Beatles as the moon rises above Penny Lane in Liverpool
A jet passes in front of the full moon in New York, left. Right, the moon is seen behind the angel on the top of Castel Sant'Angelo in Rome
The full moon rises over Sokhna beach in Suez, 79 miles east of Cairo, Egypt, as holidaymakers enjoyed the warm evening
The unusual 'blue moon' lunar event was captured on camera in Tyneside on Thursday night Here, the moon rises over the Whitley Bay Dome. But it was at its most impressive on Friday night and will be the first to occur since 2012
The blue moon phenomenon doesn't transform the Earth's satellite into a dazzling sapphire, but instead refers to when a full moon occurs twice within a calendar month. It's seen here over the Statue of Liberty, framed by New York skyscrapers
The full moon rises over Loosely Row, near Princes Risborough in Buckinghamshire, southern England, last night
Last night's lunar phase fits the calendar definition of ‘blue’ because there was another full moon on July 2. The full moon can be seen above the Statten Island Ferry while it makes its way to New York (left) and above the silhouette of a stargazer in Liverpool (right)
Blue moons are not as rare as other celestial events, but there won’t be another for three years, until January 31, 2018. Here, the special full moon is pictured above London's O2, formerly known as the Millennium Dome
Fireworks explode as the blue moon rises in the distance at Worlds of Fun amusement park in Kansas City, Missouri
A plane ascends in front of a blue moon rising seen from Liberty State Park in Jersey City, New Jersey
The blue moon as seen over the town of Varna, Bulgaria, left, and over Newquay, Cornwall, right
A blue moon rises behind the Brooklyn skyline, as seen from Liberty State Park in Jersey City, New Jersey
While a calendar month lasts from 28 to 31 days, a lunar month - the time interval between two full moons - is always 29.53 days long.
Confusingly, there is also a ‘seasonal’ definition that says a blue moon is the third of four full moons in one season.
According to this definition, last night's full moon is not ‘blue’ at all. The next seasonal blue moon is not due until May 26, 2016.
While the blue event is of interest to astronomers, it is of more significance to astrologers, who say blue moons mark a time of upset, change and possibilities.
While the lunar event is already underway, it was at its most impressive and will be the first to occur since 2012. This image shows the blue moon above New York, while a jogger works out
The moon appears orange as it rises over a property on the outskirts of the peaceful village of St Breward, Cornwall (left and right)
Fireworks explode as the blue moon rises in the distance at Worlds of Fun amusement park in Kansas City
The rare moon as seen from the streets of London (left) and from the stands of the US Cellular Field in Chicago, Illinois
Revellers are silhouetted against the rising blue moon as they ride an attraction at an amusement park camp in Kansas City, Missouri
The moon over a Chicago stadium, left, and the cross on the steeple of Saint Luke's Episcopal Church in Scranton, Pennsylvania, right
A Blue Moon is seen through the clouds, rising above the One Atlantic Center building in Atlanta, Georgia, US
A blue moon rises over two farm buildings in a field just east of Bowling Green, Ohio
Clouds cast a dramatic shadow across a blue moon as it rises over a set of silos at a farm south of Marshfield, Wisconsin
A blue moon casts light over the still waters of St Michaels Mount at midnight in Marazion, Cornwall
Occasionally, the moon really does appear blue, but that usually happens because of an erupting volcano.
In 1883, blue moons appeared almost every night after the Indonesian volcano Krakatoa exploded with the force of a nuclear bomb.
Plumes of ash rising high into the atmosphere acted like a filter only allowing blue moonlight to pass through the tiny particles.
Blue coloured moons were also seen in 1983 after the eruption of the El Chichon volcano in Mexico.
There were other reports of blue moons caused following the Mount St Helens and Mount Pinatubo volcanic eruptions in 1980 and 1991.
Wildfires producing smoke containing one micron-wide ash particles can also produce a blue coloured moon.
The blue moon rises over the dome of the US Capitol in Washington, DC, where extensive renovation work is taking place
This photograph taken in West Orange, New Jersey, shows the blue moon rising over the skyscrapers of Manhattan, New York City
Branches are silhouetted against the moon in Essex, left. Right, the moon over Skopje, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
The Blue Moon is seen over the houses and fields of Loosely Row, near Princes Risborough, south east England
A vessel sails out beneath the blue moon in Mounts Bay, Cornwall. The next seasonal blue moon is not due until May 26, 2016
Confusingly, there is also a ‘seasonal’ definition that says a blue moon is the third of four full moons in one season. According to this definition, Friday's full moon is not ‘blue’ at all. Whatever the case, the Earth's satellite looks spectacular in these images taken in Tyneside (left) and Glastonbury (right) which use a trick to make it appear larger
Occasionally, the moon really does appear blue, but that usually happens because of an erupting volcano. In 1883, blue moons appeared almost every night after the Indonesian volcano Krakatoa exploded with the force of a nuclear bomb. Here, a silvery full moon is pictured above the illuminated O2 in London
Blue moons are due to the difference between calendar and lunar months. While a calendar month lasts from 28 to 31 days, a lunar month - the time interval between two full moons - is always 29.53 days long. A stock image showing different phases of the moon through the lunar months is pictured above
WHY THE MOON CAN APPEAR BLUE AND RED AT TIMES
Confusingly the term 'blue moon' doesn't mean that the Earth's satellite will look blue in colour.
But this can happen in unusual sky conditions when fine particles of dust or smoke act as a filter, only allowing blue light to pass through the tiny particles.
Reports of blue moons followed the Mount St Helens and Mount Pinatubo volcanic eruptions in 1980 and 1991, for example.
In April this year, the moon appeared to glow red in an event called the 'blood moon'. Skygazers in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand were treated to a total eclipse of the moon (pictured over New Zealand)
In April this year, the moon appeared to glow red in an event called the 'blood moon'.
Blood moons occur during a lunar eclipse, when the moon passes in the shadow of the Earth, called the umbra, where light from the sun is blocked by our planet.
This gives rise to the moon's ‘blood red’ appearance during a total eclipse, when the entire moon is in shadow and the Earth's atmosphere scatters the sun's red light.
As a result, the red light reflects the moon's surface, casting a reddish rush hue over it.
The last blood moon, which occurred over the Easter weekend, was the third in a series of four, with the final one expected on September 28.
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