Free Republic

This year will see (kind of) another rare astronomical event taking place across the night sky. On December 30-31, we will have a rare Black Moon to see out 2024. What is a Black Moon? You’ve probably heard of a Blue Moon; it’s a far more well known phenomenon that is different from a Black Moon but is useful for understanding them nevertheless. A Blue Moon, which earnt its name from the 1937 edition of the Maine Farmer's Almanac, can occur in two situations. It is either the third full Moon in a season with four full Moons (seasons typically...

A black moon is basically the second new moon of the month, something that rarely occurs. It works similarly to a Leap Year. A lunar cycle typically takes about 29 days to complete, but our months are slightly longer. So sometimes, about every 32 months, we happen to get two full moons or two new moons. The second full moon in a month is called a blue moon, and the second new moon is called a black moon. But a black moon also refers to a month where there are no new moons — which is only possible in February...