Though the new moon tonight may not be visible to the naked eye, this does not mean it falls short of spectacularity.
Space reports that new moons are not usual objects of excitement in sky watching. This is especially true because nothing can be seen from the earth's vantage point. Britannica notes that such a lunar phase occurs when the moon is specifically between the sun and the earth. In such a case, the side in the shadows faces the earth. This is the first lunar phase in the moon's lineup of eight various phases.
Lunar eclipses occur during the full moon; solar eclipses happen at the new moon.
While new moons may not seem extraordinary and are not even visible to the naked eye, the one for tonight is particularly special for a number of reasons.
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Closest New Moon to Earth
Since 1030, the new moon tonight will be the closest to planet earth. At around 3:54 p.m. EST, the new moon will be situated 356,568 kilometers away from earth. This is according to Time and Date, which looked through information from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory of NASA to find the earth-moon distances over hundreds of years.
Space reports that the estimated next time that the new moon will have such a remarkably short distance would be by January 20, 2368. By then, the moon may be 9 kilometers closer than tonight's. On average, the moon has a distance of 384,400 kilometers.
According to CNET, the moon's orbit is elliptical, unlike a perfectly circular one. This is the reason why the earth gets various supermoons every succeeding year. In such a case, a full moon shows up larger because it is at the closest orbit point, known as the perigee, the orbital point wherein the moon gets closest to earth.
If this particular moon instance were a full moon, it'd be considered a supermoon. However, tonight's skies will be completely dark since it is at the new moon lunar phase. However, this invisible supermoon will still affect the tides. Around this time, the earth may experience what is known as a "king tide," or a remarkably high tide.
New Moon Lunar Phase During Lunar New Year
Aside from this, the new moon is also particularly special because it marks the Lunar New Year, a major celebration across China and different regions of Asia. Based on the Chinese horoscopes, this year is particularly the year of the rabbit. Through Asia and communities of Asians all over the world, families and friends will gather together to share food and laughter.
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Check out more news and information on the Moon in Science Times.
