Black Moon will rise over Ukraine on the last day of the year

On Tuesday, December 31, the Black Moon will rise in the sky over Ukraine and other European countries. This is the name of the new moon, which appears for the second time this month.

On the last day of the year, it will also be visible in Africa and Asia. A day earlier, the Black Moon will be seen in the Americas - it will rise at 16:26 CET (22:26 GMT) on December 30, 2024, EarthSky reports.

The Black Moon, like any new moon, is not visible in the sky from Earth. The moon is new when it is more or less between the Earth and the Sun in this lunar orbit. So, during each new moon, the moon moves closer to the sun in our sky. For the whole Earth, it is in daylight, so it is invisible to the human eye.

But it's a great time for stargazing because without the moon in the sky, the night is darker and you can see more stars at this time.

What is the Black Moon?

A better-known concept is the Blue Moon, which is when we have two full moons in one calendar month. In this case, the second one will be Blue. In recent years, another name has appeared that characterizes the presence of two new moons in one calendar month. Then the second one is called the Black Moon.

Another definition of a Black Moon

Just as there are two definitions for a Blue Moon (the 2nd full moon in a calendar month or the 3rd full moon in a four full moon season), there are technically two definitions for a Black Moon as well. This month's Black Moon is the second in a calendar month. But there is also a seasonal Black Moon, which is the third new moon in a season with four new moons.

The Black Moon, as the second of two in a calendar month, is the most common type. It occurs about once every 29 months. The seasonal Black Moon is somewhat more rare – it can occur once every 33 months.

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