It might strike you as unusual to glance up at the sky during the day and spot the Moon hanging there. After all, isn’t the Moon supposed to be a nighttime visitor? We often associate the Moon with night, thanks to countless books, movies, and even weather forecasts that use the Sun for daytime and the Moon for night. However, the reality is that the Moon graces our daytime skies just as often as it illuminates our nights. You simply need to know when and where to look.
To understand why daytime Moon sightings are possible, let’s first consider why we see the Moon at night. Unlike the Sun, our Moon is not a source of light itself. What we observe is sunlight reflecting off its lunar surface. This principle remains the same during the day. While stars are also present in the daytime sky, their faint light is overwhelmed by the Sun’s brilliance, rendering them invisible. The Moon, however, shines brightly enough due to reflected sunlight that it can be visible during both day and night, provided it is positioned correctly in our sky.
Think about a full Moon. During this phase, the Moon is positioned opposite the Sun from our perspective on Earth. This alignment allows the entire sunlit face of the Moon to reflect light towards us, making it appear fully illuminated. As Earth rotates, a full Moon rises around sunset and sets around sunrise, dominating the night sky. In the days leading up to a full Moon, you can spot the almost-full Moon rising in the east even before sunset. Conversely, in the days following a full Moon, you can observe it setting in the west after the Sun has already risen.
Spotting the Moon during the day can become an enjoyable celestial observation activity. Each day, the Moonrise and Moonset times shift, changing by approximately 50 minutes later daily as it progresses through its lunar phases. So, keep an eye on the daytime sky, and you might be surprised when you next spot our silvery satellite hanging alongside the Sun. Continue exploring the wonders of the Moon and space science at https://www.nasa.gov/moon.
[END VIDEO TRANSCRIPT]
Full Episode List
Facebook logo
@NASA@NASA Moon@NASA Solar System Exploration
@NASA@NASAMoon@NASASolarSystem
Instagram logo
Linkedin logo
