Exactly at 2:06am EDT On Saturday (August 23rd), the moon enters the new moon phase. This happens every 29.5 days. However, this new moon has a special title and importance to the calendar. Meet Black Moon.
But it is not something that can be seen in the sky. A new moon occurs when the moon passes almost between the Earth and the Sun and the surface of the moon is invisible to the Earth. So why is this particular new moon called “Black Moon”?
The black moon is the opposite of the blue moon, and is just as rare. Like Blue Moon, there are two types of Black Moon. If a new moon is the second new moon in a calendar month, you can get its name. It happens when there is a new moon on the first day or two before or around the month. You are then guaranteed that a second new moon will occur later in the month. This type, known as the monthly black moon, occurs about once every 29 months, depending on the time and date. (The next month’s Black Moon will occur on August 31, 2027.)
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However, astronomers use the term “black moon” to refer to the third new moon in the seasons of four new moons. That particular calendar quirk is happening this weekend. And it all leads to a new moon that occurs immediately after solstice or equestrian.
The current season – summer in the Northern Hemisphere and winter in the Southern Hemisphere – begins at the solstice on June 20th or 21st (depending on time zone) and ends at Equinox on September 22nd. During that period, there will be a new month on June 25th (just four days after the solstice), July 24th, August 23rd and September 21st (one day before Equinox). It squeezes tightly, but there is plenty of time for four new months to happen in one summer.
The third of these new months (August 23) is known as the black moon of the season. This type of new moon occurs approximately once every 33 months, slightly less than the black month each month.
Related: 10 Best Stargaze Events of 2025
Although you cannot see the black moon with the naked eye, the timing offers a special opportunity for the Stargazers. It’s a moonless night perfect for enjoying summer stars, just as the Milky Way looks the best from the Northern Hemisphere.
The best way to get a good look at the arc above our galaxy is to find a place away from light pollution, preferably a place with no cities on the southern horizon. Find three bright stars in the vast summer triangle in the southeast: Vega, Deneb and Altaa. The Milky Way passes through the left side of the summer triangle from Deneb to Althea and from there to the south horizon.
The Milky Way appears to be a moonless night sky, but the black moon night is a great opportunity to see it in its best condition.
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