Rare black moon to appear in days - when will it rise and what will you really see?

A rare black moon is set to rise this weekend; however, don’t bother setting an alarm for this one, because when you look up, there’ll be nothing there.

A black moon is a special type of new moon. It is during this phase that the moon's Earth-facing side is completely shadowed, making it invisible to the naked eye.

Though the term ‘black moon’ isn’t an official astronomical term, there are two common definitions:

• Monthly black moon: Used to define the second new moon in a single calendar month with two new moons. They occur about once every 29 months.

• Seasonal black moon: Defined as the third new moon in a season of four new moons. These black moons are a little rarer and occur about once every 33 months.

The black moon, falling this weekend on Saturday, August 23, is categorised as a seasonal one, which is what makes it so special. The last seasonal black moon happened on May 19, 2023.

But if you can’t see it, what makes it so special?

Well, a sky without moonlight makes stargazing all the more magical. Natural moonlight washes out the light from most stars, leaving only the brightest to shine overhead.

So, in its absence, you’re able to see thousands of stars, which is a major in comparison to the few hundred you see at other times. The days before, during, and shortly after a new moon are the best to go stargazing.

Most astronomers prefer to observe during this phase because it's the perfect time to see deep-sky objects such as the planets, stars, galaxies, clusters, The Milky Way, and nebulae.

With that said, you don’t need to know a single thing about astronomy to gaze up at the stars - only an appreciation of their celestial beauty.

If your weekend schedule allows, we recommend grabbing a blanket, thermos, and a loved one, then heading to your nearest stargazing location for a stellar evening.

Head to Go Stargazing to find your closest location that will be publicly accessible during night-time.

For those of you who will be participating in stargazing this weekend, here are some of the constellations to look out for according to EarthSky:

This constellation is considered one of the most interesting areas in the night sky, due to the number of deep-sky objects that can be found within it. It's also easily recognisable in the northern hemisphere, so you shouldn’t miss it.

The Lyra constellation represents a ‘lyre’, which is a harp-like instrument from ancient Greece. The constellation is small but relatively easy to identify once Vega, the brightest star in the constellation, has been identified.

Aquila is a long-known constellation, visible from July to November. It's easy to spot as it can be seen flying opposite the celestial Swan (Cygnus). It can also be identified by its brightest star Altair, which represents the eagle's eye.