I saw the Moon in a bright blue afternoon sky and realized I still instinctively think of it as something that comes out at night. I know the Moon orbits Earth and reflects sunlight, but which part of its orbit makes it visible during daylight? Is the familiar full Moon mostly a nighttime sight because of its position opposite the Sun, while other phases appear in the day? A simple geometric explanation would be lovely.
Why the Moon can be visible during the daytime
- explain-simply
- moon
- visible
- during
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3 replies
The key is that the Moon is up in the sky half the time, but the Sun is only lighting one side of it. If the Moon happens to be above your h...
The key is that the Moon is up in the sky half the time, but the Sun is only lighting one side of it. If the Moon happens to be above your horizon while the Sun is also up, you can see it in daylight.
Right, and the phase matters only for where it is relative to the Sun. Around full Moon it’s opposite the Sun, so it tends to be seen at night; other phases can be visible in the afternoon or morning.
A simple way to picture it: the Moon doesn’t care whether Earth calls it day or night. It just needs sunlight and a clear enough sky to stand out from the blue.
And the full Moon is often less obvious in daylight not because it vanishes, but because it’s usually up when the sky is already dark. The b...