A uncommon Black Moon rises with the solar on Aug. 23: This is what to anticipate

On Aug. 23, the evening sky will play host to an uncommon lunar occasion often known as a Black Moon.

While you will not really see something uncommon (in truth, you will not see the moon in any respect), this occasion continues to be thrilling due to its rarity.

At 2:06 a.m. EDT (06:06 GMT) — which is 11:06 p.m. PDT on Friday (Aug. 22) — the moon will formally move by way of its new moon part. At that second, our pure satellite tv for pc might be positioned within the constellation Leo, sitting simply 1 diploma north of the solar within the sky.

So what’s occurring? A Black Moon isn’t an official astronomical term, but it’s used to describe unusual timings of new moon phases. This week’s event falls under the “seasonal” definition: the third new moon in a season that contains four new moons. A new moon is the phase when the moon’s sunlit side faces away from Earth, making it invisible in our sky as it rises and sets with the sun.

Normally, each season has three new moons, but the lunar cycle doesn’t line up perfectly with our calendar. Every so often, an “extra” new moon sneaks in and the third in that sequence is dubbed a Black Moon. The last seasonal Black Moon happened on May 19, 2023.

Summer 2025 in the Northern Hemisphere started with a new moon on June 25, followed by July 23, Aug. 3 and Sept. 21. With four new moons squeezed into the season, the Aug. 23 new moon becomes the Black Moon. Seasonal Black Moons, like the one on Aug. 23, happen only about once every 33 months.

There’s additionally one other definition of a Black Moon that refers back to the second new moon in a single calendar month, which will not happen once more till Aug. 31, 2027.

Unlike a supermoon or lunar eclipse, a Black Moon is not one thing you’ll be able to watch unfold in actual time. During the brand new moon part, the moon is positioned between Earth and the solar, so its unlit facet faces us, rendering it invisible towards the brilliant sky.

But do not be disenchanted. The days instantly following the Black Moon will reveal one of the vital lovely lunar sights: the thinnest crescent. On the evenings of Aug. 24 and Aug. 25, look towards the western horizon about 30 to 40 minutes after sundown to identify a fragile silver arc, the moon’s first reappearance after going darkish.

The darkish moonless skies surrounding a brand new moon are additionally excellent for observing fainter deep sky objects that may in any other case be very troublesome and generally unimaginable to see throughout brighter moon phases. It additionally makes for a very nice time to research the dense core of the Milky Way.