Right outsideSky
Why you can see the moon in the daytime sky
When: All year
The moon spends almost as much time up in daylight as at night; the right days put it plainly in the blue sky.
Why this time of year
In the days before each full moon the moon is already climbing the eastern sky before sunset, and in the days after it lingers in the west after sunrise, so most weeks offer a daylight moon if you know which horizon to check.
How to notice it
- A few days before a full moon, scan the eastern sky in the late afternoon; a few days after, scan the western sky in the morning.
- Look for a pale white shape against the blue, dimmer than at night but plainly there.
- Check which side of the moon is lit; the bright edge always faces the sun.
Try this with kids: Can you find the pale daytime moon and point to the side the sun is lighting?
the moon makes no light of its own; we see sunlight reflecting off its surface
Safety
- Keep the search well away from the sun; never stare toward it while scanning the sky.
Sources
- nasa.govThe moon shines by reflected sunlight and is bright enough to see day or night when in the right part of the sky; it spends almost as much time in the daytime sky as the night; before full moon look east, after full moon look west in the morning; it sets about 50 minutes later each day.