Rare black moon, first Solar Eclipse of the year and Venus Jupiter conjunction to be visible this weekend

The second new moon of the month, as well as a breathtaking heavenly 'kiss,' are among the highlights for stargazers this weekend. On Saturday, April 30, the second new moon of April, nicknamed a 'black moon,' will occur.

A new moon occurs when our natural satellite receives no light and the lunar disc is detectable. According to NASA, it will coincide with a partial solar eclipse that will be visible from Antarctica and parts of South America. This is when the moon casts a shadow on areas of the Earth when it passes between the Earth and the sun.

The quarterly solar eclipse will not be visible from the United Kingdom or the United States, but it will be broadcast live online. Also on Saturday, Venus and Jupiter, the two brightest planets in the sky, will come so close to colliding that they will appear to be kissing.


A solar eclipse happens as the moon crosses between the sun and the Earth, drawing a shadow on the Earth and hindering the solar light in some areas, as per the officials.

Although the partial solar eclipse will only be visible in portions of the southern hemisphere, the moon's phases remain fixed, therefore for people all over the world, the moon will vanish (becoming a new moon).

A 'black moon' occurs on Saturday, which isn't strictly speaking an officially acknowledged astronomical word and has a variety of interpretations.

In the context of Saturday's event, a black moon is the second new moon in a month. This is possible because the lunar cycle is shorter (29.5 days).