New moon calendar 2024: When is the next new moon?

The dark skies during a new moon provide ideal conditions for spotting skywatching targets that would otherwise be outshined by moonlight.

[{"selector":"#anim-bdf724b5-e40e-4e1e-b612-ab88d115f4cf","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(1)","scale(1.5)","scale(0.95)","scale(1)"],"offset":[0,0.33,0.66,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1450,"easing":"ease-in-out","fill":"both","iterations":1}] [{"selector":"#anim-03276692-c0a5-48ad-84ac-5dd2b9dbe1dc [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-32.42187489333662%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}]

The next new moon will occur on Thursday, Jan. 11 at 6:57 a.m. EST (1157 GMT.)

[{"selector":"#anim-9e6e174d-b46e-4dac-b0e1-47823a4ba683","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(1)","scale(1.5)","scale(0.95)","scale(1)"],"offset":[0,0.33,0.66,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1450,"easing":"ease-in-out","fill":"both","iterations":1}] [{"selector":"#anim-8515b903-7cc6-486a-897b-3604cf3dd1b9 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(34.179687404002955%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}]

A new moon occurs when the moon is directly between Earth and the sun, with its shadowed side pointing towards us.

[{"selector":"#anim-59c55e26-52cd-4761-b428-5f7f3cb22944 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(34.20312490414518%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5391abbc-acf4-44d0-88fd-0e1883070710","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(1)","scale(1.5)","scale(0.95)","scale(1)"],"offset":[0,0.33,0.66,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1450,"easing":"ease-in-out","fill":"both","iterations":1}]

You can see a new moon when it crosses the face of the sun during a solar eclipse.

[{"selector":"#anim-c0b9cc67-6481-4998-86da-5f10563e2ec0 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(31.249999886225726%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1acd400a-d4ef-4b67-aeed-231d6563929b","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(1)","scale(1.5)","scale(0.95)","scale(1)"],"offset":[0,0.33,0.66,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1450,"easing":"ease-in-out","fill":"both","iterations":1}]

New moons occur approximately once every month because that's roughly how long it takes for the moon to orbit Earth.

[{"selector":"#anim-12d7e83a-df75-456b-8ff8-5012c4f98e56 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-33610875-16f6-46ac-a66d-c7547cc5bc2c","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(1)","scale(1.5)","scale(0.95)","scale(1)"],"offset":[0,0.33,0.66,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1450,"easing":"ease-in-out","fill":"both","iterations":1}]

But because the moon's orbit is slightly tilted relative to Earth's orbit around the sun,

[{"selector":"#anim-06eb51a5-d0d9-49a9-b9f0-c689a919e62c [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(5.255681691243583%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0e531ef7-d8ab-4da9-9638-135e179c1a3b","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(1)","scale(1.5)","scale(0.95)","scale(1)"],"offset":[0,0.33,0.66,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1450,"easing":"ease-in-out","fill":"both","iterations":1}]

it doesn't block out the sun on every orbit, hence why not every new moon results in a solar eclipse, according to NASA.

[{"selector":"#anim-cc92eb41-af0c-44ec-9c35-f85b55fb5684 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(34.179687404002955%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ff7700d8-1c62-4464-b2e3-8fb2ff0be6f5","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(1)","scale(1.5)","scale(0.95)","scale(1)"],"offset":[0,0.33,0.66,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1450,"easing":"ease-in-out","fill":"both","iterations":1}]

Every so often a new moon is known as a "Black Moon".

[{"selector":"#anim-a21b16da-48ea-494c-9992-4d90bc3f29d7 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(29.65624987655492%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5267d0e7-a943-4a31-b89a-acc4aa2cc046","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(1)","scale(1.5)","scale(0.95)","scale(1)"],"offset":[0,0.33,0.66,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1450,"easing":"ease-in-out","fill":"both","iterations":1}]

This is a rare occurrence and we won't experience another one until December 30, 2024.

[{"selector":"#anim-719b650e-376f-46f3-a35a-f7d0fc6815c4 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(3.1249997155643165%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-79a5eea4-64c0-4ce5-9ceb-c68575b033c2","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(1)","scale(1.5)","scale(0.95)","scale(1)"],"offset":[0,0.33,0.66,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1450,"easing":"ease-in-out","fill":"both","iterations":1}]

The last Black Moon, by the seasonal definition of the term, occurred on May 19, 2023.

[{"selector":"#anim-6a5abb19-da6a-47a3-bdcc-12e22b4f51fb [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(21.874999829338595%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8e2c54eb-84b4-4697-9644-6ff0270eb538","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(1)","scale(1.5)","scale(0.95)","scale(1)"],"offset":[0,0.33,0.66,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1450,"easing":"ease-in-out","fill":"both","iterations":1}]

The next black moon will occur on Dec. 30, 2024, and will be the second new moon in a calendar month.

[{"selector":"#anim-8b427b39-2f30-4fee-9d32-2458756a4837 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(43.40820301833663%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c8cb70a8-1f9a-41b0-a5c6-f7f97001e141","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(1)","scale(1.5)","scale(0.95)","scale(1)"],"offset":[0,0.33,0.66,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1450,"easing":"ease-in-out","fill":"both","iterations":1}]

January 11- 6:57 a.m. February 9- 5:59 p.m. March 10- 4:00 a.m. April 8- 2:21 p.m. May 7- 11:22 p.m. June 6- 8:38 a.m. July 5- 6:57 p.m. August 4- 7:13 a.m September 2- 9:55 p.m. October 2- 2:49 p.m November 1- 7:47 a.m. December 1- 1:21 a.m December 30- 5:27 p.m.

[{"selector":"#anim-8088ebf2-8b7c-4335-b20e-9c022c89f4ea","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ccde2560-d946-435e-b6c4-a8e5746b08f7","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]