While there is the expression “Once in a blue moon,” once in a while, there is a Black Moon too.
Later in August, a rare Black Moon will be seen — or rather, hidden — in the night sky. A Black Moon is the moniker for a third new moon out of four in an astronomical season, instead of the usual three, as Time and Date described.
The western half of the Western Hemisphere is expected to “see” the Black Moon starting before 12 a.m. on Aug. 22, according to Time and Date. For the rest of the world, the Black Moon will occur after 12 a.m. on Aug. 23, including for the central and eastern United States.
Black Moons happen once every 33 months, with the next one expected on Aug. 20, 2028, when it is also expected to be a supermoon, Time and Date stated. The previous Black Moon was on April 30, 2022.
In the lunar cycle, new moons take place roughly every month, according to NASA. As people likely know, the moon is invisible in the night sky when it reaches its new moon phase. The illuminated side of the moon faces the sun while the night side faces Earth.
Given that a new moon means the night sky is free from the moon’s illumination, the night of a Black Moon is a perfect time for stargazing and using a telescope to view the planets and stars in the sky.
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