New Moon: Meaning, Next Dates and Why You Cannot See It
Phase 1 of 8, an exact instant
At new moon the Moon sits between the Earth and the Sun, so the side facing us is unlit and the Moon is lost in the daytime glare. It rises and sets with the Sun and cannot be seen, except during a solar eclipse, when its dark disc crosses the Sun. New moon is the start of the lunar month; a thin crescent appears in the western evening sky one or two days later.
Tonight the Moon is a waning gibbous. Next new moon (showing UTC):
- Illumination
- 0%
- Moon age
- 0 days
- Rises
- Around sunrise
- Sets
- Around sunset
Where to look: not visible: it is beside the Sun in the daytime sky. Exact moonrise and moonset for your city are on the moon calendar.
Upcoming new moon dates
| Date and time (UTC) | Details |
|---|---|
| October 2026 | |
| November 2026 | |
| December 2026 | |
| January 2027 | |
| February 2027 | |
| March 2027 | |
| April 2027 | |
| May 2027 |
Each row is the exact instant of new moon; it is the same moment everywhere on Earth and the date can differ by a day between time zones.
What the new moon looks like
At new moon the Moon lies between Earth and the Sun, and the side facing us is unlit. It rises and sets with the Sun, so it cannot be seen except during a solar eclipse. The new moon is the reference point of the lunar month: the Moon's age is counted in days from this instant, and 29.53 days later the cycle repeats.
Because the sky is free of moonlight all night, the nights around new moon are the best of the month for the Milky Way, faint deep-sky objects and meteor showers.
Lore and folklore
Many cultures began their months at the first sighting of the thin crescent after new moon; the Islamic, Hebrew and traditional Chinese calendars still do. In folklore the dark of the moon was a time for endings and beginnings: seeds planted, debts settled, hair cut so it would grow back thick.
A wish made at the first glimpse of the new crescent was said to come true, and turning the silver coins in your pocket at that moment invited money to follow.
Trivia
- The exact instant of new moon is the same everywhere on Earth; only the clock time differs.
- Two new moons in one calendar month are sometimes called a Black Moon, the dark twin of the Blue Moon.
- Solar eclipses can only happen at new moon, but most new moons pass above or below the Sun because the Moon's orbit is tilted about 5 degrees.
- The 'old moon in the new moon's arms', a faint glow on the dark part of a young crescent, is earthshine: sunlight reflected off Earth.
Gardening by the Moon
The waxing half of the month, from new moon to full, is the traditional time to sow and plant crops that bear above ground. The first week favours leafy crops such as lettuce, spinach and cabbage. See this month's planting calendar ›