New Moon

The Moon will make a close approach to the Sun in the sky as it sweeps along its eastward path across the night sky. As it does so, it will draw too close to the Sun for observation, passing within a mere 03°47′ of it in the constellation Leo.

As a result of the Earth, Moon and Sun all lying in a straight line in the Solar System, with the Moon in the middle, we will also see almost exactly the opposite side of the Moon to that which is illuminated by the Sun, meaning that it will appear almost completely unilluminated.

Since the Moon moves quite quickly across the sky – by nearly 15° per day – it will not be hidden by the Sun’s glare for long. Over subsequent days, the Moon will become visible in the late afternoon and dusk sky as a waxing crescent. By first quarter, a week after new moon, it will be visible until around midnight.