What is the “black moon” and why will it allow us to better observe the sky this Saturday

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• BBC News World

29 April 2022, 08:18 GMT

image source, Getty Images

Astronomy lovers will be attentive to the sky this Saturday.

The night of April 30 there will be “la black”.

This phenomenon occurs relatively infrequently, less than once a year.

But what is the black moon? How does it manifest? and can we see it?

To start with, let’s get one thing straight: black moon is not a term officially recognized by astronomers.

The Moon goes through a cycle of phases, of which the main ones are: new moon, first quarter, full and last quarter.

image source, Getty Images

Usually our satellite it takes 29 days to complete the cycle.

When the part of the Moon that faces the Earth is not illuminated by the sun, there is a new moon.

Then the star seems to disappear completely from our vision.

This obviously happens every 29 days. But every year and few months two new moons are observed in the same calendar month, and the second is known as the black moon the dark moon.

Because the Moon completely loses its illumination, it will be impossible to see Saturday.

So why do we say that astronomers will be watching the sky that night?

image source, Getty Images

Black moons provide a perfect opportunity for space observers as, due to the absence of light, the skies are darker.

This makes it easier to see stars, constellations and objects in deep space, such as star clusters and galaxies.

There are also some superstitions surrounding the black moon.

Some believe that it heralds a special moment, when wishes come true and spells take effect.

For others it means that the world is going to end. Fortunately, so far they have been wrong in their predictions.

image source, AFP

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