The next new moon is when?
At 7:13 a.m. EDT (1113 GMT) on Sunday, August 4, the next new moon will appear.
When the moon is exactly between Earth and the sun, with its darkened side facing our direction, it is said to be new. When a solar eclipse occurs, a new moon can be seen when it passes across the face of the sun.
Because that’s how long it takes the moon to orbit Earth, new moons happen around once a month. However, NASA notes that not every new moon causes a solar eclipse because the moon’s orbit is slightly tipped in relation to Earth’s path around the sun, meaning that it doesn’t completely block out the sun on every circle.
There is an amazing phenomenon known as Earthshine, or Da Vinci light, which is sometimes seen on the nights before and after a new moon when there is only a small crescent in the sky.
During this period, the highly lit crescent and the complete disk of the moon appear to be visible, with the disk glowing faintly and giving off an almost bluish-gray hue. Thus, Earthshine is frequently called “The old moon in the new moon’s arms.” The moon’s surface reflects light from a fully lit Earth, creating the glow. In this interview with FoxWeather.com, skywatching journalist Joe Rao of Space.com goes into further information about the event.
Occasionally, a new moon is referred to as a “Black Moon”. There won’t be another one of these unusual events until December 30, 2024. Although the word “black moon” is not an official term in astronomy, Time and Date provide two common definitions for it:
- the second new moon in the same month as the previous one.
- the third new moon in a four-new-moon season.
According to the seasonal definition of the phrase, May 19, 2023, was the most recent Black Moon. The next black moon, which will be the second new moon in a calendar month, will happen on December 30, 2024.
In search of binoculars or a telescope to view the moon? We can assist with our tips to the greatest bargains on binoculars and telescopes right now. You can also get ready to record the next lunar skywatching spectacle with the aid of our top astrophotography cameras and lenses.
Our comprehensive guide to lunar observation can assist you in organizing your next skywatching excursion, whether it involves discovering the lunar seas, hilly regions, or the numerous craters that dot the lunar surface. If you’d like to take a more thorough moonlit tour of our rocky buddy.
The moon appears to cycle through eight distinct phases as it orbits the Earth, reflecting sunlight.
New moon:
The moon is situated between Earth and the sun, thus the side facing us is the only one that is illuminated by faint sunlight reflected from Earth.
Waxing crescent:
As the moon orbits the Earth, the portion that is visible to us gets progressively more light from the sun.
First quarter:
From our perspective, the moon seems half-lit and is 90 degrees away from the sun in the sky. We refer to it as the “first quarter” because since the new moon, the moon has circled the planet approximately 25% of the way.
Gibbous waxing:
The lighting area keeps growing. It looks like sunlight is reaching more than half of the moon’s surface.
Full moon:
At 180 degrees from the sun, the moon is the closest object to be completely illuminated from our point of view. The moon’s orbit is not precisely in the same plane as Earth’s orbit around the sun, thus although the sun, Earth, and moon are aligned, they rarely make a complete line. When they do, the moon’s face is crossed by Earth’s shadow, resulting in a lunar eclipse.
Waning gibbous:
The moon seems to be receiving sunlight on more than half of its face, but not as much as before.
Last quarter:
The moon has shifted to the third quarter position, having circled the planet one more quarter of the way. The other half of the moon’s visible face is now illuminated by the sun.
Waning crescent:
The moon appears to be receiving less sunlight overall, with less than half of its face receiving it.
The moon has finally returned to its original starting position. At this moment, the moon lies between the sun and Earth. From our perspective point, the moon usually moves either above or below the sun, but sometimes it moves directly in front of the sun, causing a solar eclipse.
