On Sept. 30, Friday night, the sky will turn dark, setting the scene for a black moon phenomenon for those in the Western Hemisphere. It will be a second new moon experience for the month of September.
Precisely, the black moon will happen at 8:11 p.m. Eastern Time with the Pacific Time equivalent being 5:11 p.m. The Western Hemisphere covers the Americas, and certain parts of Africa and Europe.
Unlike other new moons, black moons will be invisible. As the moon becomes super dark there is no better time for stargazing on that eventful Friday night of Sept. 30.
For the counterparts in the Eastern Hemisphere, a similar event might be happening in October and will clash with the Halloween season.
For the Western Hemisphere, the black moon will be a double treat as it follows September’s first new moon with a ‘ring of fire’ solar eclipse delivered to them. That was unique as the first new moon passed directly between Earth and the Sun.
In simple terms, black moon is explained off as a second new moon that comes in a calendar month. Technically, it happens when the illuminated side of the moon comes under the shadow of the Earth, making it hard to see.
It is said that black moon occurs once in every 19 years, when February skips a full moon. A second full moon in a single calendar month is sometimes called a blue moon.
A black moon is at best the flip side of a blue moon. For those in the Western Hemisphere, Friday night will be like shutting out the moon as it goes off in the night sky.
Astronomers also noted that it was in March 2014 that two new moons fell in the same month.
Meanwhile, the news of upcoming black moon has evoked fears of ill omen and some have taken the matter to social media laced with grim prophecies. The dark moon, coming after a “ring of fire” was witnessed on Sept. 1, has set many tongues wagging over God’s wrath.
They have Bible’s numerous references to bank upon. Luke 21:25-26 says “there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars” that will set “men’s hearts failing them for fear.”
A Facebook post even said these are signs of Jesus coming soon.“We are approaching the end of our world and the end of life on Earth for all human beings,” the FB enthusiast said.
The usual contingent of religious conspiracy theorists are happily wallowing in visions of a wrathful god, and terrible things happening to all us non-believers. Unfortunately for them, that won’t happen, but if you love star watching, or just want to gaze at the awesome of the universe, you won’t find a better night.
Via Tech Times.
Well, shit.
That’s in about 15 minutes.
The sun is only just down, it’s still light out.
Yep, it will be dark here shortly.
Still here.
I wonder if the end of the world will come, not when Americans see the Black Moon, but when European-Europeans see it, one month later. On the other hand maybe we’re too socialist…
I hope the moon continues.
When full, it can make my backyard rubbish look quite picturesque.
Ice Swimmer #4
There is also the wee problem of those folks on the bottom half.
For them, the moon is upside-down.
chigau @ 5
Making you feel like a tourist from Counterweight Continent in your backyard?
Ice Swimmer #7
It’s more that I haven’t weeded the garden since …
Umm, “illuminated side of the moon comes under the earth’s shadow”, isn’t that a lunar eclipse? I thought a new moon was when the illuminated side of the moon simply faces away from the earth… Now I’m confused. In addition to that, I am here from your future to tell you that the world is still going on as before, and more’s the pity.
Also, the black moon contains super-feminine mystical power. I read that on the internet.
…there’s a bathroom on the right….
Now I got that particular Mondegreen stuck in my head.
rq: Just what I was going to say. I understand that people can’t figure out how the moon works, but for a place that has “Tech” as its middle name, you’d think they would know the difference. Sheesh. It’s just an ordinary new moon.
It must be true! I was barefoot in the kitchen when it happened!
OMG SO WAS I! *lunarsisterhoodhighfive*
It was also supposed to be bringing something, but I don’t remember what. Probably the snacks.
Ah, here’s some more on that:
(The site is actually pretty factual.)
I was barefoot, but not in the kitchen. You can’t go by me anyway, I’m almost always barefoot.
I was looking forward to major stars last night, but was foiled by heavy cloud cover.
I wanted to see the aurora borealis advertised a couple of nights ago, but was foiled by same.
I think the cloud cover works for the patriarchy, it’s always in my way when I try to reconnect to my astronomical roots.