They are now just four points behind Sheffield United, the team above them, and have yet to play them on their own ground and must feel very confident that they have a chance of surviving the drop.
The Charlton hero was their China international Zhi Zheng. He scored the opening goal on his home debut and was then brought down inside the penalty area allowing Jerome Thomas to score from the spot.
The gale-force wind that swirled around The Valley completely wrecked the game as a spectacle and the players found it very difficult to control the ball, especially in a dreadful first half in which neither side managed to get a shot on target.
The only notable chances were one for each side that both went high and wide.
Things had to improve after the break and they did. Newcastle missed a wonderful opportunity to take the lead when Obafemi Martins, with only goalkeeper Scott Carson to beat, screwed the ball across the face of goal. It was to prove a costly miss as Charlton took the lead in the 53rd minute.
Former Newcastle player Amady Faye was fouled just outside the penalty area and Darren Bent's fierce free-kick rattled the crossbar. Zheng was the only player to react as he headed the rebound into the net - his first goal for the Addicks.
It then took two quality saves from Newcastle goalkeeper Shay Given to deny Charlton further goals, as the Republic of Ireland international twice turned away goal-bound headers from Darren Bent.
Little was seen of Newcastle as an attacking force in the second half but, with only a one-goal lead, Charlton were always suspect to the counter-attack.
The tension was finally lifted two minutes from time when Zheng's darting run into the area ended with him being brought down and, with penalty taker Darren Bent off the field, Thomas stepped up to fire home the spot-kick.
Charlton have now won two and drawn one of their last three matches as they make their late challenge to avoid the drop, but this was another disappointing display by Newcastle United who were knocked out of the UEFA Cup by AZ Alkmaar on Thursday.