The Enigmatic Beauty of Moon Black: Exploration of Dark Lunar Hues

A black moon is a type of new moon, when the moon is nearly between Earth and the sun. Saturday's new moon is a seasonal "black moon" - a rare phenomenon that occurs once every 33 months. Here's what that means and why it's a great night for stargazing.

A rare "black moon" event is slated for this weekend - August 22 and 23. Photo by Getty Images A purportedly rare "black moon" event is slated for this weekend - August 22 and 23. What is a black moon, and what does it mean for stargazers? Not a whole lot, it turns out - at least, in lunar terms.

Northeastern University astrophysicist Jonathan Blazek breaks it all down. His. The black moon is occurring this weekend, but it won't be visible from Earth.

Here's everything you need to know about the celestial event. A blue moon is the second of two full moons in one calendar month, while a black moon is the second new moon in a calendar month. The black moon this month is a seasonal black moon and it's happening on August 23.

Because a New Moon is defined as the moment in time when the Sun, the Moon, and Earth are aligned, Black Moons can happen in different months depending on the time zone. Unfortunately, like any other New Moon, it will be invisible in the sky. This is because the Moon is between Earth and the Sun in its orbit at this Moon phase.

However, just because the moon can appear in so many colors doesn't mean it actually changes color. The dozens of hues are caused by many different factors, including the time of day, the moon's position, and the particles surrounding the moon. If the black moon is invisible, what will people be able to see? Friday's black moon is considered a "seasonal" version of the event as it will be the third new moon in a season that has four.

Black Moon viewing opportunities See the moon phases, and the difference between a waxing and waning crescent or gibbous moon, in this Space.com infographic about the lunar cycle each month. The Moon will indeed be black, kind of. But that's not why you should look up this weekend.