Some people think the moon always hangs out in the night sky – but it doesn’t. It cycles.
Today, the moon is “new.” We can’t see the moon at all during this phase, for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, the new moon rises at sunrise; it’s in the sky when the sun is, and very close to it.
The other reason is location. The new moon phase happens when the moon and sun are in conjunction. During this time, the moon is not reflecting sunlight toward Earth. Now, that’s not a bad thing; it’s the best time to stargaze because there is no light pollution from the moon.
Now that we know more about the new moon, let me complicate matters. The original meaning of “new moon” was the first visible crescent of the moon after conjunction with the sun. The period in the lunar cycle with no moon visible used to be known as the dark moon, which I think makes much more sense.
So, today’s moon is either dark or new. Either way, we won’t see it!
If you don’t have any plans today, you might consider getting a haircut. Grandma believed that if you cut your hair when the moon was new, it would be much healthier, and it would grow back faster.
And if you were planning on cutting wood for the winter today, you can take the day off. According to folklore, wood cut at the new moon is hard to split. Nobody needs that.
During the 19th Century, almost every culture believed that if the new moon came on Monday (Moon-day) it was a sign of good weather and good luck.
We missed it by a day, but good luck will come your way if you glance at the new moon over your right shoulder.
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Cindy Day is the chief meteorologist for SaltWire Network.