A ‘black moon’ is coming this month. What does it mean?

A "black moon" is coming, and Oregonians will get to experience it before much of the rest of the world.

Not an official astronomical term, a black moon refers to the second new moon in a single calendar month, or the fourth in one astronomical season. It's essentially the dark side of a blue moon .

But because the new moon is defined as the exact moment the sun, moon and earth are aligned, it can sometimes occur on different days for people in different time zones. According to Time and Date , the next new moon will take place Nov. 30 for the far western time zones (including Mountain Time, Pacific Time, and the time zones for Alaska and Hawaii), while the rest of the world will see it on Dec. 1.

As the second new moon in the month of November, it will be considered a black moon for the West. For the rest of the world, it will be the first of two new moons in December. The second of those, on Dec. 30, will be considered the black moon.

Of course, a black moon is not exactly something to see – all new moons, by definition, are invisible. For stargazers, this year's black moon means an extra opportunity for dark skies in the month of November, which could be a great time to look for meteor showers . For those with lunar-oriented spiritual practices, including many modern Pagans, the black moon can be a powerful opportunity for ritual.

Like blue moons, black moons are not exactly rare. A monthly black moon occurs roughly every 29 months, while a seasonal black moon happens about every 33 months, according to Time and Date.

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- Jamie Hale covers travel and the outdoors and co-hosts the Peak Northwest podcast . Reach him at 503-294-4077, or .