You can't see much of the moon during a new moon because the sun and the moon are aligned in the sky.

Here's why:

* The moon's illuminated side faces the sun. During a new moon, the side of the moon that is illuminated by the sun is facing directly away from Earth.

* The moon is close to the sun in the sky. The new moon rises and sets around the same time as the sun, making it difficult to see against the bright daylight.

Essentially, the moon is "hiding" behind the sun from our perspective.