Why does a new moon occur when the Moon is between Earth and the Sun?

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near and far sides of Earth's Moon — Moon (Left) Near side of Earth's Moon, photographed by the Galileo spacecraft on its way to Jupiter. (Right) Far side of the Moon with some of the near side visible (upper right), photographed by the Apollo 16 spacecraft.

A new moon occurs when the Moon is positioned between Earth and the Sun because, from our perspective on Earth, the side of the Moon that is illuminated by the Sun is facing away from us. Consequently, the side of the Moon that is in shadow faces Earth, making it appear dark or invisible in the night sky. This phase marks the beginning of the lunar cycle.1234