You may see the rare blue moon over the Philadelphia area this weekend

Look to the sky Saturday and Sunday nights, and you will see the rare heavenly sight known as a blue moon. It is the second full moon that occurs in a calendar month and only occurs every two to three years. This weekend's blue moon is also a micro-blue moon, meaning it will appear up to 6% smaller than a typical full moon because it will be farther from Earth than any other full moon this year.

So, will the weather cooperate this weekend? It looks favorable with mainly clear skies at sunset both Saturday and Sunday nights, eventually turning partly cloudy overnight.

Moonrise is at 8:15 p.m. Saturday, just as the sun is setting in the west, and the moon will set at 5:14 a.m. Sunday.

Moonrise is at 9:13 p.m. Sunday and the moon will set at 6 a.m. Monday.

Look to the east and the moon will appear it's fullest and brightest as it rises above the horizon.

The full moon will peak at 4:45 AM Sunday morning, although it will appear full both Saturday and Sunday.

If you expect to see a blue colored moon, prepare to be disappointed because the name blue moon began as a 16th-century expression, "the moon is blue," describing something extremely unlikely. Today, we use the expression "once in a blue moon" to describe a rare occurrence. Just like a second full moon in a month.

Every few years, we are treated to a blue moon because the moon's 29.5-day cycle does not align with our calendar.

The full moon earlier this month, known as the flower moon, was on May 1.

The last blue moon in a calendar month occurred on August 30th, 2023, and the next one will be New Year's Eve, December 31, 2028.