New Moon | Facts, Information, History & Definition

The New Moon is the first lunar phase, occurring when both the Sun and the Moon have the same ecliptic longitude. During the New Moon phase, the lunar disk is invisible to the naked eye, except when it is silhouetted during a solar eclipse.

For many decades the New Moon term was used o describe the first visible crescent of the Moon after its conjunction with the Sun. This thin waxing crescent is observed for a short period as the Moon gets lower in the western skies after sunset.

You can consider the New Moon as the opposite of a Full Moon. With that being said, let's dive in and explore some more facts about the New Moon.

What Does a New Moon Mean?

A New Moon, in astronomy, marks the beginning of the first lunar phase. Many believe that this symbolizes new beginnings, and some people even start new projects during this lunar phase, feeling that the Moon's energy will favor them.

Across the world, people practice certain rituals during a New Moon, and many even worship it as a symbol of reincarnation.

What Happens On a New Moon?

During a New Moon, the Sun and the Moon are aligned. The Moon is situated between the Sun and the Earth, and during this phase, we perceive only the shadowed part of the Moon.

What is the New Moon and Full Moon?

A New Moon occurs when the Moon is situated between the Earth and the Sun, while a Full Moon happens when the Earth is between the Sun and the Moon.

During a New Moon, we see the darkened part of the Moon, and during a Full Moon, we observe its illuminated side by the Sun. The New Moon is the first lunar phase of the Moon, in opposition to the Full Moon, which is the last phase.

What Day is the New Moon?

The next New Moon will occur on November 15 – 12:07 am / 12:07. If you want to track the Moon's phases, check out this link. New Moon's typically begin at the start of a new month or the end, but this process varies continuously as time passes.

What is the Moon phase today? Find out here. If you are curious about the Moon phase of tomorrow, check this out. What was the Moon's phase yesterday? Find out here.

What are the New Moon Dates for 2020?

In 2020, we will witness twelve New Moon's. New Moons typically occur once every month or so. Since a slight disjunct between the Moon's phases and the Gregorian calendar exists, some months may experience two New Moons, one at the beginning and one at the end.

The lunar cycle lasts for around 29.5 days. It is known as the lunar month, and it represents the time it takes for the Moon to pass through all of its phases (New Moon to Full Moon) and then return to its position.

To be more precise, this process lasts 29 days, 12 hours, and 44 minutes. Here is when the New Moon's of 2020 will occur:

January 24 – 4:42 pm / 16:42
February 23 – 10:32 am / 10:32
March 24 – 5:28 am / 05:28
April 22 – 10:26 pm / 22:26
May 22 – 1:39 pm / 13:39
June 21 – 2:41 am / 02:41
July 20 – 1:33 pm / 13:33
August 18 – 10:41 pm / 22:41
September 17 – 7:00 am / 07:00
October 16 – 3:31 pm / 15:31
November 15 – 12:07 am / 12:07
December 14 – 11:17 am / 11:17

What are the New Moon Dates for 2021?

If you are wondering when the New Moon phase will occur in 2021, you can find below a list with all the dates:

January 13 – 07:00 AM
February 11 – 21:05 PM
March 13 – 12:21 PM
April 12 – 05:30 AM
May 11 – 21:59 PM
June 10 – 13:52 PM
July 10 – 04:16 AM
August 08 – 16:50 PM
September 07 – 03:51 AM
October 06 – 14:05 PM
November 04 – 23:14 PM
December 04 – 09:43 am

How Does New Moon Occur?

When the Sun, Moon, and the Earth are aligned, and the Sun illuminates only the Moon's part, we cannot see; we call it a New Moon. The visibility of the Moon can reach a minimum of 1%.

How Does a New Moon Affect Us?

It is known that the Moon influences not only all the living creatures from our planet but the oceans and the weather as well.

For humans, the New Moon is a time to rest and to recharge the batteries, as the Moon is doing the same thing.

At this time, the Moon blends with the darkness of the night for a short time, only to come back to life with new forces. We should follow its example and prepare ourselves for the original work, plans, and "battles" of the next month.

What are the 8 Phases of the Moon?

The Moon's phases are divided into eight descriptions for a better understanding. They represent the amount of illuminated part of the Moon we can see from the Earth.

The New Moon occurs when the Earth, Moon, and the Sun are aligned with the Moon in the middle. So, the Sun illuminates half of the Moon we cannot see.

The Full Moon - The Moon, Earth, and Sun are almost aligned, but the Moon is on the opposite side of the Earth so that we can see the entire sunlit part of it.

The First Quarter and the Third Quarter are when we can see half of the illuminated part and half of the Moon's shadow part. This is why generally, these phases are known as Half Moon. We can only see half and half because the Moon is at a 90-degree angle concerning the Earth and Sun.

The Moon is Waxing crescent after the new Moon when the sunlit part increases, but less than a half. The Waxing gibbous is when the sunlit portion of the Moon is now more than a half and still growing.

After the maximum phase of a Full Moon, the light starts decreasing, called the Waning gibbous phase. This phase lasts until the Third Quarter.

Following the Third Quarter, lights wane until the New Moon, when it's completely gone. This is the Waning crescent phase

Did you know?

- There is a very high chance for rain and storms on the days after a New or Full Moon.

- When the Moon is Full, it's the best time for shrimping and crabbing.

- A flowing tide is considered to bring luck in marriage.

- The Moon travels around the Earth at a distance of 1,423,000 miles (2,290,000 kilometers) with an average speed of 2,288 miles per hour (3,683 kilometers per hour)

- The surface of the Moon is approximately the size of Africa.

- We can only see one side of the Moon as it rotates around the Earth but its own ax as well. So it's the same side pointing at us, always.

- The lunar cycle is 11 days shorter than a solar year. Every few years, lunar calendars add an extra month to keep on track with the seasons.