New Moon of August 2020: Here is why the 'New Moon' this month is so rare

It is a splendid spectacle for astronomy lovers when celestial objects pass through Earth’s night sky. Whether it’s a comet, a meteor shower or one of those nights when Mars is clearly visible, witnessing these celestial objects is always a treat.

In the month of July and August, this year, skywatchers were greeted by the comet NEOWISE, which was the brightest comet in 23 years, and the Perseid Meteor Shower. However, this week skywatchers found themselves marvelling at the beauty of the elusive and rare New Moon known as the Black Moon. Read on to know more about the Black Moon.

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Lunar Cycle Explained

According to NASA, every 27 days, 7 hours, and 43 minutes, a new Moon appears in the Earth’s sky. The lunar cycle every month is marked by a few milestones. While the Moon is approaching the peak of its lunar cycle, a sliver of the Moon’s crescent appears in our skies. After reaching its peak point the Moon begins to wane into invisibility once more, before starting another cycle.

Source: NASA

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New Moon August 2020: Why is the August New Moon so rare?

According to NASA’s SkyCal site, the New Moon appeared on Tuesday, Aug. 18 at 10:41 p.m. EDT, which is 7:41 p.m. PT. However, the new moon of August 2020 is not an ordinary one. This month's new Moon is also a rare Black Moon. 

The Black Moon occurs once every 33 months. This rare New Moon is a great opportunity to observe other celestial objects in the night sky as well. This is because the light coming from the Moon will be too faint to interfere with the light coming from stars, planets, and galaxies.

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Sky gazers across the world will be able to enjoy this lunar silence on Tuesday and Wednesday night. After this, the Moon will slowly start to appear brighter. NASA has also stated that the next seasonal Black Moon will take place on May 19, 2023.

Read | Black Moon of August 2020 set to peak this week: How to observe this lunar event?

Full Moon in September 2020

While on August 3, the Full Moon was a Sturgeon Moon, the next Full Moon night will be on September 3, which will be the Corn Moon. NASA website suggests that the September 3 full moon will appear at 1:22 a.m. ET. The Full Moon in September is uniquely named as the Corn Moon, as corn is ready of harvest around this time.