A "blue moon" does not actually look blue in color. It appears visually the same as any other full moon—typically white, yellow, or gray. The term "blue moon" refers to a rare calendar event, such as the second full moon in a month or the third full moon in a season with four full moons, rather than the moon's color

. However, on extremely rare occasions, the moon can appear bluish due to atmospheric conditions. This happens when the Earth's atmosphere contains particles of a very specific size—about one micron wide—that scatter red light and allow blue light to pass through. Such particles can come from large volcanic eruptions or massive forest fires. For example, after the 1883 Krakatoa eruption, the moon appeared bluish for several years

. In summary:

• Normally, a blue moon looks like any other full moon—no blue tint

• A truly blue-colored moon is very rare and caused by specific atmospheric particles scattering light in a way that makes the moon appear blue

• Photos of blue moons often do not show a blue tint unless filters or editing are applied

So, unless there are unusual atmospheric conditions, the blue moon looks like a regular full moon.