Black Moon

Today, December 30, 2024, we are having what is called a Black Moon. In Europe it will be December 31.  This is not a super-fact post. Just some lighthearted information about the Black Moon phenomenon.

What is a Black Moon?

The most common definition is that it is the second new moon in a single calendar month. That’s what we are having now. During a new moon the moon is located between the sun and earth, which means that the night side of the moon is directed towards us. At night it is usually below the horizon and during the day you can’t see it.

However, there is one exception to that and that is when you are having a solar eclipse. In that case the moon is directly in front of the sun. It is an unusually well-placed new moon if you will. Here in Dallas, we had a total solar eclipse on April 8 this year. It was a remarkable experience. It turned daker, cooler, some stars and planets came out, including Venus, and the birds and insects stopped singing. I have included some photos from that event below. What you see is the dark side of the moon with the sun hiding behind it.

I took this photo with my old Samsung 8+ phone before we had totality. Since the sun was still partially visible and bright I used a filter / a pair of glasses that I held in front of the phone.
A friend Denise Mosier-Wanken took this photo with her phone. The sun is almost gone. The fuzzy fog like light around the black circle is the sun’s corona.
My daughter Rachel took this photo with her iPhone.
A professional solar eclipse photo with filter. What we saw with our eyes was something in between this photo and the photos we took. The corona in our photos is too big. This one is too small. Stock Photo ID: 2344355767 by aeonWAVE.

Alternative Definitions of a Black Moon

As mentioned, the most common definition of a black moon is that it is the second new moon in a single calendar month. However, there are other definitions:

  • A month with no full moon
  • A month with no new moon
  • The third new moon in a season with four new moons. A season is defined as the period between a solstice and an equinox and is roughly three months.

A New Moon is a Star Gazing Opportunity

Since there is no moon in the sky the night is a little bit darker. This makes a significant difference in places that are very dark and very far away from city lights. There is so much light pollution here in Dallas, so it doesn’t matter here. However, I still took out my little telescope and observed easy objects, such as Venus, Mars, Jupiter and its four Galilean moons.

The three little dots are three of the four Galilean Moons. I roughly saw this in my telescope a couple of hours ago, but it is not my photo. Photo by Raoni Aldrich Dorim on Pexels.com

The Near Side and the Far Side of the Moon

The moon is always showing us the same side, the so-called near side. The far side, or the back side, you can only see from spacecrafts. Look at the photo below. The near side is on the left whilst the far side is on the right. During a new moon the near side (left) is dark, and the far side (right) is lit up by the sun. But again, you cannot see the far side (right), which is turned away from us.

During a full moon the near side (left) is lit up by the sun, and the far side (right) is dark. One interesting fact about the moon is that the near side (left) and the far side (right) are very different. The far side (right) not only looks different, it has a crust that is much thicker compared to the near side, and it is also densely cratered compared to the near side.

The near side of the Moon and the far side of the Moon. Comparison between the two hemispheres of the Moon. Elements of this image were furnished by NASA. Stock Photo ID: 2157518223 by Claudio Caridi.

Below is a youTube video showing an animation composed of actual satellite photos by NASA.

In this video the near side of the moon is dark. It is a new moon and the people on earth don’t see the moon. The sun is behind us and lights up both earth and the far side of the moon (the side people on earth do not see), so that is what the space craft see.

Happy New Year

Finally, a Happy New Year to all of you from Rollo and me. He may not look that happy but that is because I am leaving over the New Years. We have a dog sitter though. For the same reason I will not be on-line tomorrow.

Happy New Year from Rollo

To see the Super Facts click here

Author: thomasstigwikman

My name is Thomas Wikman. I am a software/robotics engineer with a background in physics. I am currently retired. I took early retirement. I am a dog lover, and especially a Leonberger lover, a home brewer, craft beer enthusiast, I’m learning French, and I am an avid reader. I live in Dallas, Texas, but I am originally from Sweden. I am married to Claudia, and we have three children. I have two blogs. The first feature the crazy adventures of our Leonberger Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle as well as information on Leonbergers. The second blog, superfactful, feature information and facts I think are very interesting. With this blog I would like to create a list of facts that are accepted as true among the experts of the field and yet disputed amongst the public or highly surprising. These facts are special and in lieu of a better word I call them super-facts.

26 thoughts on “Black Moon”

    1. Thank you so much for your very kind words Laura. My wife, kids, and extended family is staying for a week in Key West, Florida, but I am going only for two days so that we are not leaving Rollo alone with a dog sitter for too long. He does not like it when we leave.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      1. Ooohh I so hope you love Key West! 🌴 🌊 Enjoy it and have a great time! But yeah I can understand leaving the dog with a sitter isn’t the most ideal at times. He will be OK though, try and enjoy the time you have 😊

        Liked by 1 person

        Reply

    1. Thank you so much Robbie. I wish you a great bush and berg time. I assume that with “Berg” you mean a local mountain range. I am currently in Key West Florida and go on line just for a few minutes. I wish you a great 2025 as well.

      Like

      Reply

  5. Great post, Thomas. I learn so much from reading your blog. I hope you have a fabulous trip. You will be misssed. BTW, Rollow is precious. Happy New Year!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. That you so much for your very kind words Gwen. I am still on my short trip but I am going back tomorrow to see our little rascal. I agree Rollo is precious, cute and energetic, but demanding. Happy New Year to you and your family. 🎉🥂

      Like

      Reply

  6. New moon is quite important to those of us in the astronomy business. It’s the time of the month when we can maximize how much we can see without being swamped by moonlight and it’s the reason we’re hard at work across this New Year’s Eve trying to make the most of what we call “dark time.”

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Ha ha, it is black moon is something, but it isn’t an official astronomical term though. I am going to back to Rollo soon but the rest of the family is staying five more days. I wish you and your family including your animals and Happy New Year and a great 2025.🎉🥂

      Like

      Reply

Leave a comment