Why can we see the moon in the day sometimes?

Question

Doesn't it need to be on the other side of the earth when it is daylight?

Answer 1

GOSH, please ignore some of the answers above. People just guess, which is not good.

The moon orbits the earth every 28 days or so. That means that about half the time it is in our daylight sky.

This is very like the common question "why can't I see the moon at the moment", and answers that as well.

Some people don't realise that you can see the moon in daylight (must live in polluted cities). So, they ask the above question.

The only time the moon cannot be seen sometime during the 24 hr day is around new moon, when it is too close to the sun (in line of sight) to be see in the sun's glare.

Answer 2

The Moon can be seen in the daylight because of its size. If it were further away, it would become invisible in the daytime due to the sky lighting just like the planets are.

You can even see the unlit portion of the Moon a bit due to light reflecting from Earth.

Only when the Moon is full is it on the opposite side of the sky as the Sun. When the Moon is new (mostly unlit as seen from Earth), it is on the same side of the sky. When it is a half-moon, it is halfway across the sky from the Sun. The cycle is about 4 weeks long between full moons.

Answer 3

No the moon reflects the sun's light and that is why we can see it. It also has to do with several other factors. The position of the moon relative to earth, the lunar phase (full, partial or no moon which is when the moon is dark to earth because it is actually between the earth and the sun).

The moon orbits the earth and the earth rotates. So the position is always changing. If the moon were fixed in its position relative to the earth it would not go through phases and may even appear only at night.

Answer 4

No, you can see it in the day (except for the 6 days it's closest to the sun) because it's bright enough. It may not be easy to spot but it's there.

Throughout 1 month the moon will be anywhere in the ecliptic, at any time whatsoever and if the Sun happens to be there too then it's daylight.

That's all. Nothing special.

Answer 5

b/c the moon is revolving around the earth, and as it approaches or recedes from the side of the earth facing the sun, they both appear in the sky from your vantage point. if you were living on the moon, the earth would always be visible, but the sun would only be visible 1/2 month -- and the other half your back would be to it. the sun would rise and take 15 days to set. you only see both the moon and sun in the sky when the moon is a waxing or waning gibbous/crescent

Answer 6

I think it is the simple answer. Sun light hits the Earth, a portion is reflected back into space. If the moon is in the way the light hitting the moon will be reflected back to earth again. We will see a sillohette of the moon if the light is at the right angle when reflected back. Otherwise, we may not see it at all if that angle to us is not correct. Maybe the wavelenth is altered from the reflections going on too.

Answer 7

Ok, the distance and size of the moon have nothing to do with why we can see it in the day time. The reason we are able to see the moon in the day, as opposed to stars which seem to disappear in the day is the moons brightness. An object must have enough brightness to overcome the brightness of the surrounding sky to be seen in the day. Some planets can also be seen in the day - Venus and Jupiter for example, again due to their brightness. Think of a pair of headlights coming at you when you are driving at night. When there are no headlights coming you can see the road ahead clearly, but when a car is coming toward you with their headlight shining brightly the road seems to disappear due to the glare. Its the same with the sun shining in the day time.

Answer 8

Think of it this way: Imagine you were standing in the center of a clock. If you were looking at the 12, you would still be able to 10 and the 2. If the sun were at the 2 and the moon were at the 10, you would be able to see them both.

Answer 9

Yeah, I agree with u. But I think it's because sometimes moon's revolve 1 1/2 time around the earth. I hope u r not confuse!!
I hope this helps!!

Answer 10

First, I'm not expert, but from what I know the moons orbit cycle (during it's new moon cycle I think) puts it above us so that we can see it. Now I know someone out there has a more scientifically correct answer, so I hope my simple explanation helps until then. :)