Is there a Black Moon in 2023?
|
An astronomical event known as a "black moon" will happen tonight, though Lancaster County likely won't be able to see it — but, that's the point. Show A black moon happens when four new moons happen during one season, according to Space.com. (Fun fact: the counterpart to the black moon is the blue moon, which happens when there are four full moons in one season.) When is the Black Moon in 2022?The Black Moon in 2022 falls on Saturday 30 April 2022. As a new Moon, illumination will be at just 0.2 per cent, and it will be at a distance of 395,380km from the Earth. The Black Moon will cross the sky during the day, rising at 5:37am, and setting at 8:07pm Daylight Saving Time (DST). The Black Moon on Saturday is special because it coincides with the first solar eclipse of the season. The next Black Moon of this type falls on 19 May 2023. When is the solar eclipse?The solar eclipse begins at 7:45pm DST and reaches the maximum phase at 9:41pm, but unfortunately, it won't be visible from here in the UK. The path of the solar eclipse will travel over the southeast Pacific, southern South America, Antarctica and the Atlantic. Around 64 per cent of the Sun will be blotted out by the Moon at the maximum phase. If you're lucky enough to glimpse it, the solar eclipse will take place in the constellation of Taurus the Bull The next solar eclipse visible from the UK will be a partial solar eclipse on 25 October 2022. For a total solar eclipse, we have considerably longer to wait, the next occurrence being 23 September 2090, although there will be other opportunities around the world before then. What causes a solar eclipse?A solar eclipse happens when the Sun, Moon and Earth align perfectly in a straight line, so the Sun casts a shadow of the Moon over the Earth. In other words, from our viewpoint, the Moon - for a moment - blocks the light of the Sun from reaching Earth. A partial solar eclipse, like the one on 30 April 2022, happens when the Moon comes between the Sun and the Earth, but only part of the Sun is obscured. A solar eclipse will only happen during a new Moon. However, not every new Moon will result in a solar eclipse. This is because, relative to the Earth, the Moon's orbit is inclined (tilted) at an angle of 5.14 degrees. So as the Moon orbits the Earth, it's often above or below the plane of Earth's orbit around the Sun - we call this the plane of the ecliptic. Therefore the Moon's shadow will often miss the Earth, appearing to us as though it's just above, or just below the Sun in the sky. Discover more:
How often do new Moons occur?Like their fully-illuminated counterpart, new Moons occur on average, every 29.53 days, and they bookend one lunar cycle. Most of the time, there are 12 new Moons in a year. However, as the length of the lunar cycle is slightly shorter than months with 30 or 31 days (the exception being February), we sometimes get an extra new Moon. This year we have an extra new Moon, and it's the Black Moon on Saturday. A new Moon occurs when the Moon is located directly between the Sun and the Earth. The sunlight still hits the Moon, but since it reflects off the Moon's far side, which is tidally locked away from us, from our perspective the Moon cannot be seen. More like thisOther definitions of a Black Moon
What month is the Black Moon?In these time zones, the next Black Moon will occur on January 31, 2022. This new Moon is the second of two January new Moons in those time zones. (For everyone farther east, this new Moon occurs on February 1 and is technically not a Black Moon.)
Is there a Black Moon coming?The next Black Moon by this definition will occur in 2033, while the last one was in 2014. Because of time zone differences, these Black Moons may not happen all over the world. No Full Moon in February: About once every 19 years, February does not have a Full Moon.
How rare is a Black Moon?A rare occurrence that only happens roughly every 29 months, two alternative definitions of Black Moons, according to Timeanddate.com, include when there's no new moon in the month of February and when there are four new moons in a season — the Black Moon is the third new moon in that sequence.
Why is the moon turning black?The sun, earth, and the moon all stay essentially on one flat “surface” in space. Earth sometimes moves into a position directly between the sun and the moon. When this happens, the moon passes through the shadow cast by earth. No sunlight strikes the moon directly, and it becomes dark.
|
