Rare black moon rising on Aug. 23: What to know

An unusual lunar event that happens only once every 33 months is occurring on Saturday — but you won’t be able to see it.

A black moon will rise on Aug. 23 as the moon passes through its new moon phase at 2:06 a.m. ET. This will be the first black moon since May 2023.

Here’s what to know about the upcoming black moon event.

What is a black moon?

“Black moon” is not an official astronomical term, Space.com said, but it’s a useful way to describe the unique timing of this particular phase of the moon.

For context, a new moon is one of eight lunar phases. The moon isn’t visible from Earth during this phase because the sun, moon and Earth are all aligned, with the moon’s dark side facing Earth. (The only time we can see a new moon is during a solar eclipse.)

On average, each astronomical season has three new moons. The current summer solstice started on June 20 and will end on Sept. 22, according to the BBC. New moons occurred on June 25 and July 24, and another one is expected to happen on Sept. 21, meteorologist Scott Sutherland wrote for the Weather Network.

But sometimes, the season has four new moons, and in those cases, the third of those four is considered a seasonal black moon, Sutherland explained. That’s why the Aug. 23 new moon is called a black moon.

Can you watch the black moon?

A black moon is not a lunar event you can watch.

However, it could be an opportunity to take advantage of the seemingly moonless sky to try and watch the final night of the Perseid meteor shower.

A thin crescent moon will be on display on the nights of Aug. 24 and Aug. 25, Space.com said. Viewers are advised to look toward the western horizon around half an hour after sunset to try and spot the crescent.