A black supermoon will adorn the sky over the UK tomorrow night, providing the perfect conditions for stargazing.
The event will see the moon “disappear” in the night sky, making it appear especially dark.
While this darkness may sound eerie, it actually provides a great opportunity to see stars in the Milky Way – so make sure you have your telescope at the ready!
Here’s everything you need to know about the black supermoon , including what it is, and where you can see it.
What is a black moon?
A black moon is the second new moon in a single calendar month.
It is like the “evil twin” of a blue moon, which is the name given to the second full moon in a month.
(Image: NASA)
During a new moon, the moon and sun have the same elliptical longitude, meaning the lunar disk is not visible from Earth.
Black Moons take place about once every 32 months, but because of the time zones, the month they happen in can vary.
People in the Western Hemisphere experienced a black moon last month, with the new moon occurring on July 31.
However, in the Eastern Hemisphere (Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia), the new moon occurred after midnight on the calendar date of August 1, meaning it did not quality as a black moon.
We will get our black moon tomorrow, because it will be the second new moon in August.
Why is it a supermoon?
Tomorrow’s black moon will also be a supermoon, as the moon will be at its closest point to Earth during its elliptical orbit – known as the perigee.
Super full moons tend to attract a lot of attention because, the moon can appear up to 14% bigger and 30% brighter than normal
(Image: AFP/Getty Images)
However, a super new moon is less exciting for space fans because it is invisible from Earth.
Will the black supermoon be visible in the UK?
While this month’s new moon will be a black moon for those of us in the UK, it will be invisible to the naked eye.
That’s because the alignment of the Sun, the moon and Earth leaves the area of the moon that faces the Earth in darkness.
However, with the moon’s light removed, the surrounding stars will appear more prominent in the night sky – so get looking for the big constellations!