Astronomy lovers will pay attention to the sky this Saturday.
The night of 30 there will be a “black moon” in April.
This phenomenon occurs relatively infrequently, less than once a year.
But what is the black moon? How does it manifest? and, will we be able to see it?
To begin with, let’s clarify one thing: the black moon is not a term officially recognized by astronomers.
The Moon passes through a cycle of phases, of which the main ones are: new moon, first quarter, full and last quarter.
(Photo: GETTY IMAGES) Usually our satellite takes 29 days to complete the cycle.
When the part of the Moon that faces the Earth is not illuminated by the Sun, there is new moon.
Then the star seems to disappear completely from our vision.
This obviously happens every 29 days. But every year and few months two new moons are observed in the same calendar month, and the second one is known as black moon or dark moon.
Because the Moon completely loses its illumination, it will be impossible to observe it on Saturday.
So, why do we say that astronomers will be attentive to the sky that night?
(Photo: GETTY IMAGES) Black moons provide a perfect opportunity for space watchers as, due to the absence of light, the skies are darker.
This makes it easier to see stars, constellations and deep space objects such as star clusters and galaxies.
There are also some superstitions surrounding the black moon.
Some believe that it heralds a moment special, in which wishes are fulfilled and spells have their effect.
For others it means that the world is going to end. Fortunately, so far they have been wrong in their predictions.
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