Just when you thought things couldn’t get weirder - a rare black moon is rising this weekend
When is this week’s rare black moon?
- A rare “black moon” is anticipated in the early hours of Saturday morning, though it is not an official astronomical term.
- This celestial event is a special type of new moon, making it invisible from Earth as the moon passes between the Earth and the sun.
- There are two classifications: a seasonal black moon, which occurs roughly every 33 months, and a monthly black moon, referring to the second new moon within a single calendar month.
- The absence of moonlight during a black moon significantly enhances stargazing opportunities, allowing for clearer views of meteor showers.
- New moons, including black moons, exert a stronger gravitational pull on ocean tides due to the direct alignment of the sun and Earth.