When Does Blackmoon Go Public Again
Rare Black Moon Rises Today, Just Don't Look to Run across It!
Fifty-fifty though information technology will be virtually invisible to skywatchers, a rare Black Moon will be in North American skies today (Sept. 30).
A Black Moon is a newer term that refers to the 2nd new moon in a month. The moon goes through regular phases because of its irresolute alignment with the Earth and the sunday. The new moon phase occurs when the sun is completely illuminating the far side of the moon, making the Earth-facing side completely nighttime and nearly impossible to see.
Only just like the term Blueish Moon — which refers to the second total moon in a month — the term Black Moon has no scientific significance, at least non usually. The exception is when the new moon blocks the disk of the dominicus in the sky, producing a solar eclipse. [Blackness Moon 2016: What It Is & Why You Can't See Information technology]
The fact that humans know about the phases of the moon, including the invisible new moon, "shows off how smart nosotros are," Dean Regas, an outreach astronomer for the Cincinnati Observatory who also co-hosts the PBS programme "Star Gazers," told Space.com. " Even though nosotros can't encounter information technology, we know it's in that location."
Regas added that the proliferation of new terms well-nigh moons in the by few years — such as Blackness Moon and super moon — produces mixed feelings in him, because there's a danger of creating simulated events that don't accept whatever significant astronomical significance. But he says he was"won over" past the super moon concept, which refers to a full moon that takes place when the moon is at its closest point to Globe in the year.
"Information technology'southward a great way to go the public interested," he said of the super moon. "It'south something that they can relate to and they can go out and actually see."
New moon usefulness
While the new moon doesn't produce a spectacular sight in the night sky, the fact that the moon is non lit at all is a boon for stargazers. The moon's light, specially after it reaches the half-full stage, tin can interfere with observations of fainter objects in the sky, like distant stars and galaxies.
One example of an excellent "new moon" activity is trying to observe an occultation, which occurs when the moon passes on top of another celestial object from the perspective of Earth. These occultations are tricky to find, and are often only visible over a minor geographic expanse.
"Sometimes in that location will be an issue where there'south a bright star, or a cluster of stars, or a planet, or something. The moon happens to block them out," Colin Haig, director of the Imperial Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC), told Infinite.com.
Haig brash using a publication such as the RASC's Observer's Handbook to search for occultation locations. A full listing of lunar occultations is likewise available at the International Occultation Timing Association.
If an occultation isn't happening in your area at a particular time, of class there are plenty of other things observers tin can wait at, he said. Get as far away from low-cal pollution every bit possible, and employ a pair of binoculars or a telescope and look for galaxies or nebulas. In late September, thenorthern hemisphere is still facing the brightest role of the Galaxy galaxy, providing a wealth of objects for people to await at.
"The new moon is of course the best time to take a trip to run into a dark sky," Tony Melt, the astronomical observer at the Griffith Observatory near light-polluted Los Angeles, told Infinite.com. He estimates that the city lights accept increased ambient brightness by two to three times since 1987, when he took a film of the night heaven that shows faint objects that are invisible today.
"At the phase of new moon, the moon is near the sun in the sky, then it rises and sets with the sun and therefore is non visible at dark at all," he added. "Information technology makes for the best natural viewing conditions to see faint objects."
Slooh Community Observatory will host a webcast Monday, October. 3 at 3 p.m. EDT (1900 GMT) to show live views of the young moon, viewable on their website and also on Space.com. The webcast will feature discussion with special guests including Slooh's spiritual correspondent Helen Avery, who will talk over the Black Moon'southward significance to pagan religion, and there volition also be a discussion of how to define the Black Moon when dealing with multiple time zones.
Follow Elizabeth Howell @howellspace, or Space.com @Spacedotcom. Nosotros're also on Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
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Elizabeth Howell, Ph.D., is a contributing writer for Space.com since 2012. As a proud Trekkie and Canadian, she tackles topics like spaceflight, diversity, science fiction, astronomy and gaming to assist others explore the universe. Elizabeth's on-site reporting includes two human spaceflight launches from Kazakhstan, and embedded reporting from a simulated Mars mission in Utah. She holds a Ph.D. and M.Sc. in Infinite Studies from the Academy of N Dakota, and a Bachelor of Journalism from Canada'south Carleton Academy. Her latest volume, NASA Leadership Moments, is co-written with astronaut Dave Williams. Elizabeth first got interested in space afterwards watching the movie Apollo 13 in 1996, and still wants to exist an astronaut someday.
Source: https://www.space.com/34258-rare-black-moon-rises-today.html
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