A rare Black Moon will rise over the capital on Friday: Here’s everything we know
A rare astrological event will take place this Friday: a so-called black moon will rise above the capital. It only happens once every couple of years.
Here's what you need to know.
What is a black moon?
It's essentially the opposite of a blue moon. So whereas a blue moon is when two full moons take place in one month, a black moon is when two new moons take place in a single calendar month.
So what will we actually see?
Um, not a lot, to be honest. The sky will be dark, because that's the nature of a new moon. The illuminated side faces away from the earth. Here's a picture of a black moon:
Source: Wikimedia Commons
I see. And when exactly will this momentous occasion take place?
The black moon will take place on Friday night, peaking at 1.11am in the UK (which eagle-eyed readers will spot means technically, it won't be a black moon because it takes place in October – although it starts during September).
When's the next one? Just in case I miss gazing up at a black sky this time around…
Black moons take place roughly every 32 months, so the next time this phenomenon takes place will be in 2019. The last one was back in 2014.