New Moon FRI, 19 MAY 2023 AT 21:24 IST

The Moon will pass close to the Sun and become lost in the its glare for a few days.

The Moon‘s orbital motion carries it around the Earth once every four weeks, and as a result its phases cycle from new moon, through first quarter, full moon and last quarter, back to new moon once every 29.5 days.

A thin crescent

The months around the spring equinox – March and April in the northern hemisphere – present the best opportunity to see a very thin crescent Moon immediately after sunset in the days following new moon.

This comes about because the Moon appears higher in the dusk sky sooner after new moon in the spring months as compared to other times of year.

Warning

Never attempt to point a pair of binoculars or a telescope at an object close to the Sun. Doing so may result in immediate and permanent blindness.