A Rare Black Moon Will Rise In the Sky on Friday Night
When it comes to rare lunar events, September 2016 seems to be the month that keeps on giving: This Friday, September 30, a Black Moon will rise in the skies of the Western Hemisphere, a phenomenon we haven't seen since March 2014.
So what is a Black Moon exactly? It has several definitions, but in Friday's case, a Black Moon is the second new moon to occur in a single month, something that only happens roughly every 32 months, according to Space.com. (Typically, each month, we get a full moon and new moon-generally, a Blue Moon refers to when we get a second full moon in one calendar month.)
The moon itself will be pretty much invisible, since a Black Moon refers to the moment when the dark side of the moon faces the Earth, but it will provide a great opportunity for stargazing, thanks to all that darkness.
The Black Moon, which will occur at 8:11 p.m. ET on Friday, will only be happening in the Western Hemisphere because, technically, the new moon will happen on October 1 for the Eastern Hemisphere (they'll be getting their Black Moon at the end of next month).
The next time we'll see a second new moon in a single calendar month in the Americas will be July 2019.
(h/t Accuweather)
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