INDIANA — A rare astronomical event known as a Black Moon is set to take place on August 23, though skywatchers won’t be able to see it. The event is a new moon, the lunar phase when the moon’s illuminated side faces away from Earth, making it invisible to us.
The term Black Moon is not an official astronomical term, but is used to describe an extra new moon in a season that typically has only three. This particular Black Moon is defined as the third new moon in a season that contains four full moons. The current summer season in the Northern Hemisphere has new moons on June 25, July 23, August 23, and September 21.
The moon will officially reach its new moon phase at 2:06 a.m. EDT on August 23. This type of Black Moon happens approximately once every 33 months.
While the Black Moon itself is not visible, the days following the event offer an exceptional opportunity for stargazing. On the evenings of August 24 and August 25, observers can look to the western horizon about 30 to 40 minutes after sunset to spot a thin, delicate crescent as the moon reappears.
The dark skies around the new moon are also ideal for observing faint deep-sky objects and the core of the Milky Way, which are often difficult to see during brighter moon phases.
