An astronomer has dismissed the hype over this weekend’s “black moon” saying it is conning people because they won’t be able to see it.
Brian Morton, secretary of Loughton Astronomical Society, said because the “black moon” will be in the UK an hour after midnight on Saturday, October 1, it will not be the second in a month.
A new moon is when the dark side is facing the earth and so it appears to be black, as opposed to the moon being between the earth and the sun so the illuminated side is facing away from us.
He said: “A black moon is when you get two new moons in the same month.
“That is what is happening in America but not in the UK because the second moon will be here at 1.11am on Saturday morning, which is October.
“People need to look at their calendars.
“The hype over it is a con. You won’t be able to see the moon at all.”
Some pagans believe black moons give additional powers and a number of apocalyptic theories say it is a sign the world is coming to an end.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel