New moon rises tonight, just in time for Father’s Day.
the new Moon The stage officially occurs on June 18 at 12:38 AM EST (0438 GMT), according to At-The-Sky.org. The new moon is often referred to as the invisible phase because the illuminated side of the moon is turned toward the sun, and as a result, it is not visible to us here on earth.
While for skywatchers, a new moon means there is no moon to “see,” many cultures view this lunar phase as a fresh start or new beginning because the new moon marks the beginning of a new lunar cycle.
Related: Full Moon Calendar 2023: When to see the next full moon
the new moon It is the first of four phases each month, during which the Moon takes 29.5 days to revolve around the Earth. During the new moon phase, the moon aligns with the sun sun And Land on either side of the moon. As a result, the moon appears to merge with the dark night sky.
While you won’t be able to see the moon tonight, you will be able to see faint celestial objects such as planets and stars that would otherwise be overshadowed by the bright moonlight. Indeed, skywatchers will be treated to a planetary parade this weekend as Saturn, Neptune, Jupiter, Uranus, and Mercury line up a few hours before sunrise on June 18, just after the new moon.
Just note that some of these planets are difficult to observe, even with a telescope. like EarthSky NotesUranus can be hard to spot even with dark skies. Meanwhile, Mercury rises low in the east just before sunrise, which means it will not only make it difficult, but potentially dangerous, to aim optics in the direction of the sunrise.
Sunday’s new moon is the last of spring, as summer officially begins in the Northern Hemisphere a few days later with coup (and the longest day of the year) on June 21. By this time, skywatchers should be able to see a small sliver of the moon sticking out of the sun’s glare.
In preparation for stargazing this summer, check out our guides to The best telescopes And best binoculars To monitor celestial bodies in the night sky. And for the paparazzi of the stars, we’ve also shared our picks for The best cameras for astrophotography And The best lenses for astrophotography.
Editor’s note: If you took a photo of the new moon or planetary alignment and would like to share it with Space.com readers, send your photo(s), comments, name, and location to [email protected].
“Beer fan. Travel specialist. Amateur alcohol scholar. Bacon trailblazer. Music fanatic.”