West Coast Gets Rare Black Moon
By Anne Buckle. Published 15-Nov-2024
A rare Black Moon will occur on November 30, 2024 in the western time zones of the US and Canada. One month later, the rest of the world will experience the same thing.
Black Moons aren’t visible in the night sky because they are New Moons—making it perfect for stargazers.
©iStock.com/Jasonfang
Western time zones, including Mountain Time and Pacific Time, will have a rare Black Moon on November 30, 2024.
The rest of the world must wait until December 30 or 31 to experience a Black Moon.
Monthly Black Moon
There are two main definitions of a Black Moon: a monthly and a seasonal Black Moon.
The November 30 Black Moon is a monthly Black Moon, defined as the second New Moon in a single calendar month with two New Moons.
A seasonal Black Moon is the third New Moon in a season of four New Moons. Both definitions are the counterpart to the Blue Moon definitions.
Where Can I See a Black Moon?
Like any other New Moon, Black Moons are invisible in the sky. This is because the Moon is between Earth and the Sun in its orbit at this Moon phase. Its unilluminated side faces Earth, and only the far side is illuminated.
This is excellent news for stargazers! During this Moon phase, no Moon lights up the night sky, which is perfect for looking at the stars and planets.
Explore the stars and planets in our Night Sky Map
Why Do Black Moons Have Different Dates?
A Black Moon is not an official astronomical term but refers to rare New Moon occurrences in our calendar. Because a New Moon is defined as the exact moment when the Sun, the Moon, and Earth are aligned, Black Moons can happen in different months depending on the time zone.
Are Black Moons Rare?
Monthly Black Moons are the most common and happen about once every 29 months, while seasonal Black Moons happen around every 33 months.
A rare occurrence with either no New Moon or no Full Moon in February is sometimes called a Black Moon. These can only happen about once every 19 years.