The end of this year will bring a rare astronomical event to the night sky. On December 30-31, we will have a Black Moon. You’ve probably heard of the Blue Moon, it’s a much better known phenomenon, different from the Black Moon, but useful to understand the concept.
A Blue Moon, a name that appeared in the 1937 edition of the Maine Farmer’s Almanac, can occur in two situations: either it is the third full Moon in a season that has four full moons (seasons usually have only three full moons ), or is the second full Moon of a calendar month.
Interestingly, the second definition is more popular, although it is based on a misunderstanding. In a 1946 article for Sky and Telescope magazine, James Hugh Pruett incorrectly described the Blue Moon as the second full Moon of a calendar month. Although its definition was erroneous, the idea has remained in use to this day.
What is the Black Moon?
This explanation is confusing but important because the Black Moon also has two similar definitions. If the Blue Moon is based on the number of Full Moons in a given period, the Black Moon is based on the number of New Moons. Thus, the Black Moon can be either the third New Moon of a season with four New Moons (like its Blue counterpart), or the second New Moon of a calendar month.
The upcoming Black Moon will be an example of the second definition and will occur at 00:26 on December 31, 2024 (Romanian time). This means that in America it will still be December 30, but in Europe, Africa and Asia it will already be December 31.
Although Black Moons are rare, those defined as the second New Moon in a calendar month are more frequent (occurring once every 29 months) than those defined seasonally (occurring every 33 months). The last Black Moon occurred on May 19, 2023.
The phenomenon cannot be observed
Unfortunately, although this type of astronomical event is rare, it is not visible in the sky. As with any new moon, the Black Moon occurs when the Moon is between the Earth and the Sun, making it difficult to observe because the side lit by the Sun is facing away from the Earth.
However, the absence of the Moon from the night sky creates an excellent opportunity for stargazing, as the Moon’s light no longer interferes, notes IFL Science.
As for the next Blue Moon, two Full Moons in the same calendar month will occur on May 31, 2026, and the next seasonal Blue Moon is scheduled for May 20, 2027.
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Source: www.descopera.ro
