Black Moon May 2023: Everything You Need To Know About The May 19 Astronomical Event

May 19 will witness an astronomical event called the Black Moon. National-award-winning science broadcaster Sarika Gharu explained this phenomenon. This particular New Moon on Friday is being referred to as Black Moon. So what exactly is Black Moon?

According to the broadcaster, this year there will be four Amavasyas or New Moon in three months of the astronomical spring season. It commenced on March 21 and will conclude on June 21. Out of those, the third Amavasya is on May 19. The third New Moon in any one season of three months is referred to as the Black Moon. The term gained traction in the last few years. Black Moon is reportedly to take place in approximately 33 months.

While there’s no strict definition of a Black Moon, another description of the astronomical event is if there are two New Moons, ie, Amavasyas in a single month, the second one is then called the Black Moon which happens approximately every 29 months. There is yet another definition. If there’s no New Moon in February, then there are two Amavasyas in January and March, which is also referred to as Black Moon.

Black Moon is associated with the New Moon as during this phase, the moon is always black. Typically, on Amavasya, aka, New Moon, the Moon is in line with the Sun and its bright side gets blocked. Hence, we cannot see the moon on such nights. However, during a solar eclipse, the Sun is completely or partially blocked. This kind of phenomenon occurs two to five times a year. In the following year, two Amavasyas take place in one month.

As per the lunar calendar, there is one Full Moon and one New Moon every month. If there are two Full Moons, aka, Purnima, in a single calendar month, it is called Blue Moon. On the other hand, Black Moon is when there are two New Moons within a month. Black Moons are the most frequently observed type of phenomenon.