Today marks a rare celestial event known as a black moon, but what does that even mean?

 

copper moon
Photo: David Woods
loading...

 

You are likely familiar with the term blue moon - it's the second full moon in a calendar month but what about a black moon? Much like the blue moon, it's a moon cycle that repeats in a single calendar month, but rather than being full like a blue moon, a black moon is a new moon. A new moon means that the side closest to earth is reflecting none of the light from the sun, rendering it almost invisible. So a black moon, is the 2nd new moon in a calendar month. The lack of reflective light on the surface of the moon, means that it will be the perfect night for stargazing as there won't be any extra light interfering with the celestial view.

More From WDKS-FM