In the RIA Novosti article, we tell you what kind of astronomical phenomenon awaits the inhabitants of the Earth on New Year's Eve and how interesting it is to observe.
What phenomenon is called the "black moon"
Photo - © Photobank Lori
In astronomy, there is another name for the new moon - "black moon". This phenomenon occurs when the natural satellite is between the Earth and the Sun, so its unlit hemisphere faces the Earth.
Typically, the Moon goes through four phases in a month: new bahamas mobile database moon (the Moon is not visible in the sky), waxing moon (a crescent with its sharp ends turned to the left), full moon (a bright round Moon), and waning moon (a crescent with its sharp ends turned to the right). Then the cycle repeats.
December 2024 is unique in that it manages to "fit in" two new moons at once: on the 1st and 31st. A second new moon in a month is a rather rare phenomenon, but visually this new moon will not differ in any way from all the others.
What the "Black Moon" Will Look Like on December 31, 2024
The new moon differs from other nights in that the moon is not visible in the sky. Therefore, there is no particular point in going out to admire the "rare astronomical phenomenon". However, it is still possible to see the moon on the night of the new moon if you are patient enough and know where in the sky the invisible satellite is located.
Alfiya Nesterenko, head of the Educational Astrophysical Automated Complex of the Physics Department of NSU, explains : "You can see a piece of the Moon only if there is a flash on the Moon at that time from a meteorite crashing into its surface, which happens approximately once an hour. However, you need a lot of patience, a telescope and a camera that constantly records video of the place where the Moon is located at that moment, which is not illuminated, in order to wait for this moment."