New moon
The next new moon is Saturday, 10 October 2026 at 15:51 UTC. All upcoming new moons with exact times.
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What is a new moon?
A new moon is the opposite point of the cycle: the moon passes between Earth and the sun, its lit side faces away from us, and the night sky goes moonless. It rises and sets with the sun, which is why you never see a new moon at night.
New moon nights are the month's darkest — and the best for stargazing. No moonlight means the Milky Way, meteor showers and faint deep-sky objects show at their clearest. Astronomers plan around this phase.
In tradition the new moon marks the start of the cycle: the moment for intentions and beginnings, two weeks before the full moon brings whatever was started to its peak.
A favourite challenge among skywatchers is spotting the "young moon" — the first hair-thin crescent one to two evenings after new moon, very low in the west just after sunset. Catching one under 24 hours old is genuinely hard, and a lovely excuse to watch a sunset.
Next new moon?
Saturday, 10 October 2026 at 15:51 UTC.
Can you see a new moon?
No. Its lit side faces away from Earth and it travels with the sun across the daytime sky. The first thin crescent appears one to two evenings later.
Why is a new moon the best time for stargazing?
No moonlight washes out the sky, so faint objects — the Milky Way, meteor showers, nebulae — are at their most visible all month.
What is a solar eclipse’s connection to the new moon?
A solar eclipse can only happen at new moon: it is the new moon passing exactly in front of the sun instead of just near it.