The blissfully dark nights surrounding this month's new moon phase on Feb. 17 present a perfect opportunity to explore the wonders of the post-sunset realm while free of the glare cast by our natural satellite.
A new moon phase occurs when the moon is positioned directly between the sun and Earth, meaning the moon isn't visible at night and is hidden by the sun's glare during the day. February's new moon phase occurred at 7:01 a.m. EST (1201 GMT), heralding the onset of a spectacular annular solar eclipse visible across a swathe of Antarctica, as the lunar disk passed in front of the sun, leaving only the "ring of fire" of its outer edge on display.
