The year's lone "black moon" will appear in the sky tomorrow, May 19, in an amazing astronomical phenomenon. On Friday, the new moon (Amavasya) will be dark rather than dazzling. This is because the new moon will be announced by Earth's natural satellite when it drifts directly into the sun's glare.
The second amavasya, if there are two in a month, is referred to as the "black moon". Every amavasya, the sun's brilliant side is hidden from Earth by the moon, which is aligned with it. The moon is hence veiled. However, a solar eclipse always completely or partially obscures the sun. Every year, it happens two to five times. Two amavasyas will occur in a single month in 2024.
None of the connotations associated with the word "black moon" are related to astronomy, although they all only happen rarely every few years.
What is Black Moon?
The term "seasonal black moon" – the third new moon in a period with four new moons — best describes the phenomenon this month. According to Timeanddate.com, that only occurs once every 33 months or something.
A solstice and an equinox mark the start and conclusion of each celestial season on Earth. The vernal equinox, which occurred on March 20, 2023, signalled the start of the current season, which is spring in the Northern Hemisphere and autumn in the Southern. Importantly, a new moon fell on that day.
Three more new moons can happen until the summer solstice on June 21, 2023, since a new moon appears every 29.5 days, or the length of time it requires for the lunar surface to complete one orbit of Earth. This season's new moons fall on March 21, April 20, May 19, and June 18 respectively. The third new moon this month is known as the "black moon."
According to Timeanddate.com, the term "black moon" is another way to denote the unusual circumstance of a month having neither a new moon nor a full moon. A black moon means there is no moonlight in the night sky, which makes it ideal for stargazing even if you can't see it since the side of the moon that faces us is under shadow.
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