A rare black moon, the likes of which have not been seen since 2022 and will not happen again until 2027, is set to happen tonight and hide the moon from stargazers
A rare astronomical event with a dark nickname is expected tonight, although we will not be able to see it exactly.
Known as the black moon, it is the second new moon inside a calendar month when its dark side is pointed at the Earth. Unfortunately it cannot be seen, but it will give people with telescopes a fascinating view of the heavens above us all.
The moon will be missing from the night’s sky but the stars and planets may appear brighter than usual. The best time to see it is in the early hours of tomorrow morning, long before the sun rises.
The last black moon was in April 2022 but the next will not be until August 2027. The black moon is not the only celestial delight happening this week as, should the right conditions come tomorrow night, there may be a glimpse of the Northern Lights on New Year’s Eve .
Millions of people have enjoyed seeing the weather phenomena this year, with people as far south as East Sussex spotting it in the skies over their homes at times. More could be coming on New Year’s Eve – although not as far south as that – as long as it is not too cloudy out.
A coronal mass ejection (CME) – a magnetic storm on the Sun which causes auroras – is expected tomorrow. As a result people in Scotland , Northern Ireland and Northern England could get a glimpse of the incredible sight, which are usually confined to the Arctic Circle and areas far to the north
Unfortunately, both events may go unnoticed because of the weather. Met Office Chief Meteorologist, Steve Willington, explained: “A series of low-pressure systems will track across the UK over the next couple of days bringing some potentially disruptive weather.
“Almost the entire UK is covered by at least one weather warning during the coming week, demonstrating that it is a complicated weather forecast at the moment. Although we know today and tomorrow will see heavy rain and strong winds in parts of Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England, plus some snow in parts of Scotland, it’s Wednesday’s weather where there is less confidence.”
