You know how sometimes it's still light out and you can see the moon and the sun...?

Question

...is this because the moon is full or some other reason?

Yesterday, I saw the moon while it was still daylight. Then, that same night, I noticed the moon was full.

Answer 1

The moon is bright enough to be seen in daylight, although it doesn't stand out in daylight like it does at night.

The moon can be seen during the day if you know where to look. It can usually be seen if the skies are clear of haze and clouds whenever the moon is past its first quarter and before its last quarter phases. The rest of the time, it's too close to the sun in the sky to be seen in daylight (easily).

Answer 2

Only just before, and at, full moon the sun is setting in the west of the sky just as the moon is rising in the east, so the sun and moon are opposite each other. At other times when they are in the sky together, the sun always outshines the moon. I saw it yesterday and ir was a stunning sight, as a low moon always looks so big (although if you measure the angular distance across the moon it's actually the same size).

Answer 3

It was likely the day before total full moon even though the moon looked full since it is so close to being there. On the actual full moon, the sun and moon are on exact opposite sides of the earth.

There is another phenomenon that can make this possible though. The way the light reflects off the sky from the sun, there is a short period of time after the sun sets that it is still visible as a reflection. So, that could be what you saw too.

Answer 4

It's easy to see a waxing moon in the eastern sky in the afternoon. Most especially when it's between 1st quarter and full.
It's also easy to see a full moon setting in the west in the morning as the sun rises.

Answer 5

As the brightness of the sun dims while setting, the moon can be seen, if it is above the horizon. This happen around the time of the full moon when the moon is just rising, weather and other conditions permitting.

Answer 6

It is fairly easy to see the moon in the daytime if it is not too close to the sun. However, the full moon rises as the sun sets. Therefore, you cannot see the completely full moon during the day.

Answer 7

The moon and sun are both up much more than not - only when the moon is really 'full' and on the opposite side of the Earth from the sun are they not. When the moon is 'waxing' or moving from 'new' (when it is on the same side of the earth as the sun) the moon is up in the afternoon, and stays up into the evening. Past full, the moon is up in the morning - it gradually moves to peaking overhead at local midnight. It shifts rising and setting 29 minutes later each day.
Sometimes when the weather is clear you can see it even into mid morning, but the sun is so much brighter it is difficult to see the moon if it is within a couple hours of rising/setting with the sun. When it is exactly in line with the sun, we have a solar eclipse - on the same side, or a lunar eclipse when it is on the opposite side of the Earth from the sun.