Black Moon Dates Table
| Black moon (GMT) | Second new moon of | Distance km | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 Aug 31 17:41 | August 2027 | 360,264 | 33.2 |
| 2030 Jun 30 21:34 | June 2030 | 401,773 | 29.7 |
| 2033 Jan 30 22:00 | January 2033 | 361,783 | 33.0 |
| 2033 Mar 30 17:52 | March 2033 | 357,677 | 33.4 |
| 2035 Oct 31 02:59 | October 2035 | 392,418 | 30.5 |
Five black moons between 2026 and 2036, every one the second new moon to fall inside a single calendar month - the most common of the several definitions, and the only one with a clean verbatim source: each date and distance is copied from Fred Espenak's Moon Phases tables at astropixels.com, the same compiler behind NASA's eclipse site.
Bottom line: there is no black moon in 2026 at all. The next is August 31, 2027 at 17:41 GMT, and after that June 30, 2030. The jackpot year is 2033, which manages two black moons (January 30 and March 30) and, in between, a February with no new moon whatsoever - the rarer cousin definition, all in one year.
The numbers, not the mystery: black moons are pure calendar arithmetic, not astronomy. Twelve synodic months of 29.53 days leave the year about 11 days ahead of the moon, so every 29 months or so a month's first new moon arrives early enough for a second to squeak in before it ends. Nothing about the moon itself is different - the August 31, 2027 black moon is an ordinary new moon 360,264 km out.
How to use
- Pick any year from 2026 to 2036 - most years answer 'no black moon', which is itself the useful answer.
- The counter always shows days to the next black moon from today, whatever the year selected.
- Times are GMT and the definition is calendar-based: a black moon in the Americas can be an ordinary September new moon in Europe - check the timezone note before you quote a date.
Frequently asked questions
When is the next black moon?
August 31, 2027 at 17:41 GMT - the second new moon of August 2027, which begins with one on August 2 at 10:05 GMT. After that: June 30, 2030, then the 2033 double, then October 31, 2035. None occur in 2026.
What is a black moon, exactly?
There is no official definition - it is the new moon's mirror of a blue moon. The version this table lists is the second new moon in one calendar month. A second version counts a month with no new moon at all (only February can do it), and a third, looser one means the third new moon in a season of four. Same rule of honesty as the supermoon and micromoon pages: pick a definition, state it, and stick to it.
Why does 2033 have two black moons and a February with no new moon?
Because 2033 opens with new moons on January 1 and January 30 - making January 30 a black moon - and the next lunation lands on March 1, skipping February entirely. February 2033 is the no-new-moon definition in action, and the March 1 and March 30 pair hands the year a second black moon. It is the only year in this window that collects both definitions.
Can you see a black moon?
No - that is the joke at its heart. A black moon is a new moon, so the side facing Earth is unlit; there is nothing in the sky where the moon is. Its value is what is around it: the darkest possible nights, with zero moonlight from dusk to dawn, which deep-sky observers and the meteor shower calendar treat as prime real estate.
Does a black moon mean anything ominous?
No. It is Gregorian calendar bookkeeping, not physics: the same lunation would not be 'black' under a different month scheme, and even time zones break it - August 31, 2027 17:41 GMT is already September 1 from Europe eastward, so those zones wait for a different one. The distance column shows the moon itself is perfectly ordinary that day.