By: Leada Gore for AL.com.
Get ready to celebrate the end of September with a lunar event that hasn’t occurred since March 2014 – a Black Moon.
The Black Moon is the name given to the second new moon in a month. It’s more colorful cousin- the Blue Moon – is the second full moon in a calendar month.
Typically, there is only one full moon and one new moon in a month, so the appearance of a second new moon is noteworthy, Space.com points out. New moons occur when the sun hits the side of the lunar surface that’s facing away from Earth and that’s the downside – or darkside – of a Black Moon. Because it’s not illuminated by the sun, the Black Moon will be mostly invisible in the night sky.
It’s still an interesting phenomenon, however, and one that won’t occur again until July 2019. As sky watchers point out, the dark sky is also a time for stargazing without the glare of the moon.
In the Western Hemisphere, the “official” time for the Black Moon’s appearance in the sky will be 8:11 p.m. Eastern Time (7:11 Central Time.)
Black Moon means apocalypse?
As with last year’s Blood Moon, there are all sorts of apocalyptic warnings related to the Black Moon. The internet has been abuzzthat the Black Moon coming on the heels of a “ring of fire” solar eclipse – the name given to the near-perfect alignment of the Earth, moon and sun that occurred Sept. 1 over Africa – is a fulfillment of Biblical prophecy and a sign of the end of time.
Does the Black Moon indicate the imminent apocalypse? Not particularly, according to religious writers.
“Scientists think is isn’t (the end of time) and Friday is an ordinary night, just like any other,” Catholic Online wrote.
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