New Moon

The New Moon occurs when the sun and moon are aligned with the sun and earth on opposite sides of the moon. In other words, the New Moon is when the earth, moon, and sun form a straight line in space with the moon between the earth and the sun.

It’s impossible for us to see a New Moon for two primary reasons. First, the alignment of the sun, moon, and earth leaves the side of the moon that faces the earth in complete darkness (Remember that the moon gets it light by reflecting light from the sun. The moon has no source of light of its own.) Second, the New Moon rises and sets around the same time as the Sun so that the moon is too close to the sun’s glare to be seen with the naked eye.

Some people hold the notion that there is a permanently dark side of the moon; that is, that there is a side of the moon the never sees sunlight. This notion is not correct. When the side of the moon that we see from earth is dark, the opposite side of the moon is lit up, and vice versa. So, there is no permanently dark side of the moon.

As the moon moves from its New Moon phase to its Full Moon phase (that is, as the moon grows in its visible size as seen from earth), we say the moon is waxing. As the moon moves from its Full Moon phase to its New Moon phase (that is, as the moon diminishes in its visible size as seen from earth), we say that the moon is waning.

Since the moon’s orbit around the earth is elliptical in shape rather than circular, there are times when the moon is farther from the earth than others and times when the moon is closer to the earth than other times. When a New Moon occurs at the time the moon is closest to earth it is called a Super New Moon. When a New Moon occurs at the time the moon is farthest from the earth it is called a Minimoon or a Mini New Moon.

Most years have 12 New Moons, typically one each month. However, every now and then, a year has 13 New Moons. The third New Moon in a season that has four New Moons is called a Black Moon. Or the second New Moon in a calendar month that has two New Moons is called a Black Moon. This is like the Blue Moon phenomenon (discussed in another article).

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