How come we see the moon in the day but not the sun at night ?

Question

We can see the moon both in the day or night yet it has to rotate but we don't see the sun at night ; despite it being the biggest and brightest star in our universe. How come ?

Answer 1

At midnight, the sun's light is shielded from us by several thousand miles of rock and metal, which blocks it from reaching us.

The reason we see the moon in the daytime is that, except at new moon, when the moon and the sun are both in the sky some part of the moon that's visible to us is being lit by the sun, and the reflected sunlight is bright enough not to be obscured by the blue sky. The stars aren't visible in the daytime because they aren't bright enough to outshine the blue sky. (Venus is sometimes bright enough to be seen in the daytime, if you know where to look.)

Answer 2

Let's keep this one simple.
We have separate relationships with the Sun and the Moon.
WE go round the Sun and take 364 days say to complete the journey; whilst we are doing this we ourselves are spinning independently on our own axis and complete the spin in 24 hours. On a slower basis we are tilting (oscillating) a little back and forth so that the Sun appears to be overhead on the tropic of Capricorn (22 1/2 degrees south of the Equator) gradually moving to above the Equator and then up to 22 1/2 degrees north of the Equator to Cancer.
Now, while we are doing this, the Moon is going around us but in a more stable manner.
SO, when you see the Moon in the day it is receiving the light of the Sun until it disappears behind the Earth. You can of course see the Moon at night because it is catching the rays of the Sun unless it is Eclipsed!
At night, We are facing away from the Sun and are in a dark shadow.
What you have to remember is that the Sun does not light up everything like the electric light in you room. It is 93 million miles away and merely picks out planets etc just like a car headlights picks out "cats eyes" in the dark.

Answer 3

The Sun is NOT the brightest star in the universe. It's actually quite smaller and dim compared to most.

You can't see the Sun at night because daytime is DEFINED as when the Sun is above the horizen. At night, we're pointed away, and we can't see it. But the Moon rotates around the Earth, sometimes putting it on the night side, and sometimes putting it on the day side.

Answer 4

Listen a bit more closely at school, you may learn.
The Sun (for all intents and purposes) is in a fixed position, the Earth orbits (goes round) the Sun, as it goes round the Sun it spins, the moon which travels with the Earth, orbits (Goes round) the Earth, so you see, the moon in effect has nothing to do with the Sun. Get a torch and shine it at a football, or whatever, the part of the ball the torch is shining on is illuminated, the back of the ball is in darkness, now, slowly rotate the ball, you will see that as you turn the ball different parts of the ball come into view and become lit . Better still go to a toy shop and buy a "Globe" and do the same to that. You will then see what sunrise and sunset is.

Answer 5

well because at night the moon reflects of the suns light or energy so if we see them not at the same time then it will not be night anymore because as you said the sun is the biggest and brightest star in our universe so if we saw it at night do you think it would be night or would it be during the day also we can see the moon during the day because it is not as big or as bright so it is possible for us to see it without affecting anything

Answer 6

The reason being is that, night comes when the planet is no longer facing the sun, and it would be impossible to have the sun out, otherwise it would not be night.
Whereas the moon will be out during both day and night because as long as its in our field of vision and the sun is reflecting its light off it, we'll be able to see it.

Answer 7

The sun is a source of light.

Picture yourself in a dark room with a flashlight at the other end of the room from you. Now turn away from the light.... you cant see the (direct) light anymore, this is just like what you are asking. As the world turns, then sun is no longer visible.

To play along with my analogy, picture yourself in that room again and facing away from the flashlight, you can imagine seeing the light on the wall in front of you. What you are really seeing is the light from the flashlight reflecting (bouncing) off of the wall. This is what is happening with the moon. Imagine a basketball sitting on the dresser to one side. Picture how one side of the ball is visible in the light, but the rest of it is in shadow and you can not make out the details on it. Again, this is just like what is happening with the moon.

Answer 8

Night is, BY DEFINITION, they time when the Sun is not visible in the sky. The Moon is not always visible in the sky either. Sometimes is is above the horizon at the same time as the Sun and sometimes not. There are no names for the times when the Moon is visible or not like there is with the Sun.

Answer 9

Because, at night, the sun is on the other side of the planet giving day to the Asians, Europeans and Africans (the Earth rotates, too)..and since the moon revolves around the Earth, we sometimes see it at night and sometimes it is in the sky during the day, depending on where it is in its rotation pattern.

Answer 10

Gosh - keep it simple folks.

Night and day is controlled by the sun - what on Earth do you think gives us daylight?. If the sun isn't in the sky, you are in nighttime.

The Earth is a ball. Shine a light on a ball in a dark room - it can only shine on one side, can't it?

The moon circles the Earth and is completely independent of where the sun is in your sky