Astronomy lovers will be aware of the sky.
On Saturday night (30), there will be a “black moon”.
This phenomenon occurs infrequently, less than once a year.
But what is the black moon? How does it manifest? And can we see it?
To begin with, it is important to clarify: black moon is not a term officially recognized by astronomers.
The Moon goes through a cycle of phases, the main ones being: new, waxing, full and waning.
Moon phases
Generally, our satellite takes 29 days to complete the cycle.
When the part of the Moon facing Earth is not illuminated by the Sun, there is a new moon.
Then, the star seems to disappear completely from our view.
This obviously happens every 29 days. But every year and some months, two new moons are observed in the same calendar month, and the second one is known as a black moon.
As the Moon completely loses its illumination, it will be impossible to observe it on Saturday.
So why do we say astronomers will be watching the sky that night?
Black moons provide a perfect opportunity for space observers as, due to the absence of light, the skies get darker.
This makes it easier to observe stars, constellations and objects in deep space such as star clusters and galaxies.
There are also some superstitions surrounding the black moon.
Some believe the phenomenon heralds a special moment, when wishes come true and spells take effect.
For others, it means the world will end. Fortunately, so far they are wrong in their predictions.
