What Is a New Moon? (And Why You Can Barely See It)

A new moon is the opposite of a full moon. It is the point in the cycle when the moon almost disappears from the night sky. Here is why, and what it is actually good for.

Why you cannot see it

At a new moon, the moon sits roughly between Earth and the sun. The sunlit side is facing away from us, so the side pointed our way is dark. On top of that, the moon is up in the daytime sky, close to the sun, so it is lost in the glare. For a night or two, the sky has no moon at all.

The start of the cycle

The new moon is treated as the start of the roughly 29.5-day cycle. From here the moon grows a little more lit each night, through a thin crescent, up to half, and on to full, then shrinks back down to new again. You can watch exactly where tonight sits in that cycle on moontrack.

What a new moon is good for

• Stargazing. With no moonlight washing out the sky, the days around a new moon are the best time to see faint stars, the Milky Way, and meteor showers.
• A fresh start. Lots of people use the new moon as a simple monthly marker to set intentions or plan the month ahead.

When does the crescent come back?

A day or two after the new moon, a thin sliver appears low in the west just after sunset. That is the start of the brightening crescent, and it grows from there.

Want the whole cycle in plain words? Read the 8 moon phases explained.