The sky on Wednesday, September 9, 2026
| Sun in | Virgo |
|---|---|
| Moon in | Leo |
| Moon phase | New Moon |
| Illumination | 3% |
| Ingresses | Moon enters Virgo |
| Mercury retrograde | No |
The Moon is in Leo, near new and all but invisible beside the Sun.
What is a new moon?
A new moon is the moment the Moon and the Sun occupy the same part of the sky, so the lit side faces away from us and the Moon is effectively invisible.
Illumination is close to zero, and the Moon rises and sets with the Sun, which is why you do not see it. This is the start of the roughly twenty nine and a half day cycle that runs to the next new moon.
Astrologically it gets read as a beginning: the point in the month with the least visible information, where something is being set in motion before there is much to show for it. That is a frame for reflection, not a forecast.
If you want a practical use for it, a new moon is a reasonable prompt to name what you are actually starting, in writing, while it is still small enough to change.