A rare ‘Black Moon’ set to rise this week: What to know

A long exposure photo shows a man stands as a night sky full of stars and Milky Way in the 2,200-altitude Serafettin Plateau in Solhan district, Bingol, Turkiye on July 13, 2024. (Photo by Ridvan Korkulutas/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Stargazers will get to observe a rare lunar event later this week. 

According to Space.com, a rare Black Moon will rise on August 23, although you won't be able to see it. 

Dig deeper:

At 2:06 a.m. EDT (06:06 GMT) — which is 11:06 p.m. PDT on Friday (Aug. 22) — the moon will officially pass through its new moon phase, according to the website. 

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What is a Black Moon?

A Black Moon is the term used to describe the second new Moon in the same calendar month, according to TimeAndDate.com

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According to NASA, a new Moon is the lunar phase when the illuminated side of the Moon faces the Sun and the night side faces Earth.

During a new Moon, the dark side faces Earth because the Moon is positioned between Earth and the Sun. Another example would be during a solar eclipse when a new Moon crosses the face of the sun. During this process, the Moon's shadow is cast over the Earth.

Big picture view:

Nights with a New Moon are ideal for astronomers, as the absence of moonlight makes faint celestial objects much easier to see.

Why you should care:

The event offers stargazers a clear view of stars, constellations, and bright planets, including Venus, Saturn, Jupiter, and Mercury.

The Source: FOX Weather contributed to this report. This story was reported from Los Angeles. 

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