What Is a Black Moon?
A Black Moon is an informal term for a New Moon. It is either the second New Moon in a calendar month or the third New Moon in a season with four New Moons.
Is There a Black Moon in 2026?
No. There is no Black Moon in 2026.
When Is the Next Black Moon?
The next Black Moon occurs on August 31, 2027 in most time zones. In locations from UTC+6:30 through UTC+14, the same black mon can be observed on September 1, 2027.
Black moon calendar 2026-2036
| Date (UTC) | Time (UTC) | Type |
|---|---|---|
| August 31, 2027 | 17:41 | Calendrical |
| August 20, 2028 | 10:44 | Seasonal |
| June 30, 2030 | 21:34 | Calendrical |
| May 21, 2031 | 07:17 | Seasonal |
| January 30, 2033 | 22:00 | Calendrical |
| March 30, 2033 | 17:52 | Calendrical |
| October 31, 2035 | 02:59 | Calendrical |
How Does a Black Moon Happen?
The Moon reaches the same phase approximately every 29.53 days, while Gregorian calendar months last between 28 and 31 days. Because these cycles do not line up exactly, New Moon dates move through the calendar. Most months contain one New Moon, but a 31-day month can occasionally contain two.
When the first New Moon occurs near the beginning of a calendar month and the next New Moon arrives before that month ends.
Does a Black Moon Look Different?
No. A Black Moon is simply a New Moon.
Is a Black Moon Actually Black?
No. The name is only a descriptive term.
During New Moon, the side of the Moon facing Earth is mostly in darkness because sunlight illuminates the opposite side. The Moon is therefore extremely difficult to see against the daytime sky and is generally not visible to the unaided eye.
Can You See a Black Moon?
No. Because a Black Moon is a New Moon, the Moon is positioned close to the Sun in the sky. The illuminated side faces mostly away from Earth, leaving very little of the Moon’s sunlit surface visible from our viewpoint.
The exact New Moon is generally not observable with the naked eye. However, the thin crescent that appears shortly before or after New Moon can be visible under favorable conditions.
Can a Black Moon Be a Supermoon?
Yes. A New Moon can occur close to perigee, the point in the Moon’s elliptical orbit where it is closest to Earth. Such an event is sometimes called a Super New Moon.
If that New Moon also meets the definition of a Black Moon, then it can be called as a Black SuperMoon.
This rare Black Supermoon will occur on August 20, 2028.
However, the event will not be observable like any other New Moon.
Can a Black Moon Be a Micromoon?
Yes. A New Moon can occur close to apogee, the point where the Moon is farthest from Earth.
A New Moon near apogee is sometimes called a Micromoon. If that New Moon also satisfies a Black Moon definition, then it can be caled as a Black Micromoon.
Like a Super New Moon, a Micromoon New Moon is difficult to observe directly because the Moon is in its New Moon phase.
How Rare Is a Black Moon?
Black Moons are uncommon, but they are not exceptionally rare. Under the second-New-Moon-in-a-month definition, a Black Moon occurs approximately once every 29 months, although the exact interval varies.
A seasonal Black Moon occurs when a season contains four New Moons rather than the usual three. Under that definition, the third New Moon in the four-New-Moon season is called a Black Moon.