After a surfeit of new moons in January (well, two), the month of February 2014 has no new moon at all. The synodic period of the moon – from one new moon to the next – is 29.53 days. In a month as short as February, that means a moon phase could easily be left out. That’s the case for February 2014.
The next new moon – launching the start of lunation #1128 – will be March 1 at 0800 UTC (3:00 a.m. EST). March 2014 will have two new moons as well. The second new moon in a single calendar month is sometimes called a Black Moon.
More interesting, perhaps, February 2018 will have no full moon at all, whereas the months of January and March 2018 will both harbor two full moons. The second full moon in a single calendar month is often called a Blue Moon. The next Blue Moon by this definition will occur on July 31, 2015.
Bottom line: February 2014 doesn’t have a new moon.
Deborah Byrd created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. Prior to that, she had worked for the University of Texas McDonald Observatory since 1976, and created and produced their Star Date radio series. Today, she serves as Editor-in-Chief of this website. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named 3505 Byrd in her honor. In 2020, she won the Education Prize from the American Astronomical Society, the largest organization of professional astronomers in North America. A science communicator and educator since 1976, Byrd believes in science as a force for good in the world and a vital tool for the 21st century. "Being an EarthSky editor is like hosting a big global party for cool nature-lovers," she says.
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