New Moon and Black Moon: The Year's Darkest Night

The early hours of this Sunday will be the darkest of 2025

The third new moon of the summer will create the year’s darkest night, providing ideal conditions for astronomical observation throughout the Canary Islands—unfortunately, a lingering dust haze remains in the atmosphere.

During the early morning, the sky will plunge into an exceptional darkness. This is the Black Moon, a rare astronomical phenomenon that will mark the darkest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.

Although invisible to the naked eye, its impact will be profound: without lunar reflection, the heavens will appear with extraordinary clarity, offering optimal conditions for observing stars, planets, and galactic clusters.

The Black Moon is not an official astronomical term it is a popular name for the third new moon occurring within a single season. This event happens roughly every 33 months, due to the mismatch between the solar calendar and the lunar cycle, which lasts 29.53 days.

This occurrence also coincides with the end of the Perseid meteor shower.

A Night to Look Up

In Spain, both on the mainland and in the Canary Islands, clear skies will allow everyone to enjoy the event in full splendor. The absence of moonlight will turn the night into a perfect canvas for stargazing. From areas far from light pollution, observers will be able to see the Milky Way, faint constellations, and the final sparks of the Perseids with striking clarity.