What Is a Black Moon and Is There One in 2026?
A Black Moon is not an official astronomical term. It usually refers to either the second New Moon in a calendar month or the third New Moon in an astronomical season with four New Moons. There is no Black Moon in 2026; the next Black Moon will occur on August 31, 2027. Although a Black Moon itself is invisible, it brings wonderfully dark skies for observing stars and deep-sky objects. Use Sky Tonight to check Moon phases and plan your observations in advance.
Contents
- When is the Black Moon: calendar through 2033
- What is a Black Moon?
- Next Black Moons by type
- Rare Black Moon events
- Black Moon: to sum up
When is the Black Moon: calendar through 2033
When will the next Black Moon occur? This quick-reference calendar highlights all the upcoming Black Moons through 2033.
Note: All listed times are in GMT. Depending on your time zone, the exact dates of New Moons may differ, so in some locations a particular Black Moon may not occur at all.
- Calendrical Black Moon: August 31, 2027, 17:41 GMT
- Seasonal Black Moon: August 20, 2028, 10:44 GMT
- Calendrical Black Moon: June 30, 2030, 21:34 GMT
- Seasonal Black Moon: May 21, 2031, 07:17 GMT
- Calendrical Black Moon: January 30, 2033, 22:00 GMT
- No New Moon: February 2033 (in some time zones)
- Calendrical Black Moon: March 30, 2033, 17:52 GMT
Curious what these terms mean, and why is a “No New Moon” still called a Black Moon? Read on for a breakdown of each Black Moon type and why they occur.
What is a Black Moon?
The term “Black Moon” isn’t a formal astronomical designation. Instead, it refers to one of several rare New Moon patterns.
Calendrical Black Moon
Because the lunar cycle lasts about 29.5 days, most calendar months have one New Moon. Occasionally, though, there is enough room for two New Moons in a single calendar month. The second of these is called a calendrical Black Moon.
Seasonal Black Moon
Alternatively, a Black Moon can be seasonal, when an extra New Moon occurs in an astronomical season. Typically, each season contains three New Moons, but when a season experiences four New Moons, the third one is designated as a Black Moon.
A month without a New Moon or Full Moon
Also, this expression is used when there's either no New Moon or no Full Moon in a month. This can only happen in February because it is the only calendar month that is shorter than the lunar cycle.
Next Black Moons by type
Because Black Moon has multiple definitions, the date of the next one depends on which meaning you use. Here are the next Black Moons by type:
- August 31, 2027 — the next Black Moon under the most common calendar definition, as it will be the second New Moon in a single calendar month;
- August 20, 2028 — the next Black Moon under the seasonal definition, as it will be the third New Moon in a season with four New Moons;
- There will be no New Moon in February 2033, which falls under the third definition of Black Moon given above. By the way, this is an extremely rare event – next time it will only occur in February 2052!
Black Moon: Frequently Asked Questions
When was the last Black Moon?
The last Black Moon occurred on August 23, 2025. It was a seasonal Black Moon — the third New Moon in an astronomical season with four New Moons.
When is the next Black Moon?
The next Black Moon will occur on August 31, 2027. It will be a calendrical Black Moon — the second New Moon in a calendar month.
Is there a Black Moon in 2026?
No, there is no Black Moon in 2026. Black Moons are relatively rare because they only occur when the timing of New Moons lines up with the calendar in a specific way.
Is there a Black Moon tonight?
No, there is no Black Moon tonight. A Black Moon is a rare kind of New Moon. There is no Black Moon in 2026, and the next Black Moon under the most common definition will occur on August 31, 2027. The exact date can also depend on your location and time zone, because the New Moon may fall on a different calendar day around the world. To check the Moon phase for your location, use our lunar calendar.
Is Black Moon a New Moon?
Most of the time, yes, a Black Moon is a specific type of New Moon, based on its timing within the month or season. However, there’s one rare exception: a Black Moon can also refer to a month with no New Moon at all.
Is Black Moon a Full Moon?
No, a Black Moon is typically a New Moon. However, in very rare cases, a Black Moon refers to an event when there’s no Full Moon in a month. This occurs once every 19 years: the last Black Moon of that kind occurred in 2018, and the next time will be in 2037. In that context, the term refers to the absence of a Full Moon, not the presence of one.
Is Black Moon the same as Dark Moon?
Unlike “Black Moon”, the term “Dark Moon” may refer to any New Moon as it denotes the period when the Moon is close to the Sun and is invisible to the naked eye. Astronomers of the past used the term “New Moon” to denote both the waxing crescent and a completely dark lunar disk. To avoid confusion, they would say "Dark Moon" when referring to the moon that is not illuminated. The term is sometimes used nowadays.
How often does a Black Moon occur?
Black Moons are rather rare. Calendrical Black Moons occur roughly every 29 months, making it the most common type of Black Moon. Seasonal Black Moons occur approximately once every 33 months. The third type of a Black Moon, when there is no New Moon in the month, is extremely rare: it occurs roughly once every 19 years.
Can you see a Black Moon?
A Black Moon is not the best object for observation. According to the definitions above, a Black Moon is a particular New Moon. During its new phase, the Moon’s illuminated side faces the Sun, so the side facing Earth is dark and invisible to us. In other words, you can’t see a Black Moon.
Although we can’t see the Moon itself on a Black Moon night, this event provides some of the darkest skies of the month, perfect for observing planets, stars, deep-sky objects, and the Milky Way. Explore our Bortle scale infographic to learn how your sky’s darkness level affects what you can see – from bright constellations to faint galaxies.
Rare Black Moon events
Black Super Moon in 2028
A Supermoon occurs when the New or Full Moon coincides with the perigee – the Moon’s closest approach to the Earth. But can a Supermoon also be a Black Moon? Yes!
On August 20, 2028, the third New Moon of the season will approach the Earth closer than usual. Although the event will not be observable, like any other New Moons, “Black Super Moon” still sounds intriguing, doesn’t it?
Want to dive deeper into what makes a Moon “super”? Read our full guide on Supermoons to learn why size matters, when to look up, and how to spot the most impressive lunar displays.
Three Black Moons in 2033
In the first three months of 2033, most of the globe will have three Black Moons in a row. That year, the New Moons of January 30 and March 30 will be the second in a month, and in February, there will be no New Moon.
Black Moon: to sum up
A Black Moon is not an official astronomical term and can mean different things. Most often, it refers either to the second New Moon in a calendar month or to the third New Moon in an astronomical season that contains four New Moons. In some cases, the term is also used for a month with no New Moon.
The next Black Moon will occur on August 31, 2027. In the sky, a Black Moon looks no different from any other New Moon, but it still marks an excellent time for stargazing: with no bright moonlight, objects like stars, planets, nebulae, and galaxies are easier to observe. To follow the Moon’s phases and plan your observing sessions, use the convenient calendar in the Sky Tonight app.
Explore the Blue Moon – Black Moon’s twin
While the Black Moon marks an invisible moment in the lunar cycle, its better-known counterpart – the Blue Moon – lights up the sky with a rare extra Full Moon. Curious about what makes the Moon “Blue”, and when to see the next one? Don’t miss our article on the Blue Moon to explore its meaning and upcoming dates.
Discover the other colors of the Moon
From Black Moons to Blue Moons, and even Blood Moons and Pink Moons, the Moon seems to have an entire wardrobe of names and colors. But how well do you know what they all actually mean? Take our Colors of the Moon quiz to see how many Moon types you can match to their real meanings – and maybe learn something surprising along the way.
We wish you clear skies and happy observations!
