what is a new moon

A new moon is the first lunar phase in which the Moon and Sun have the same ecliptic longitude, and the lunar disk is not visible to the naked eye, except when it is silhouetted against the Sun during a solar eclipse. During a new moon, the Moon is essentially between the Earth and the Sun, and the side of the Moon that is in shadow faces Earth. The term "new moon" is still sometimes used in calendrical, non-astronomical contexts to refer to the first visible crescent of the Moon after conjunction with the Sun. This thin waxing crescent is briefly and faintly visible as the Moon gets lower in the western sky after sunset, and the precise time and date of its appearance will be influenced by the geographical location of the observer. New moons occur approximately once every month because thats roughly how long it takes for the Moon to orbit Earth, but not every new moon results in a solar eclipse because the Moons orbit is slightly tilted relative to Earths orbit around the Sun.