Why can you see the moon during the day? This week is the perfect time to find out
You don't have to wait until dark to see the moon. Here's why it appears in broad daylight — and why this week is a particularly good time to spot it.
Many people find it perplexing to see the moon during daylight hours. After all, the sun and moon are typically associated with day and night, respectively. However, the moon actually spends roughly half of its time above our horizon while the sun is out. This week presents a great opportunity to observe the moon in the daytime sky.
The moon reached first quarter on October 18 and is now waxing toward full moon, which occurs early on Monday, October 26. During this time, the moon rises progressively later in the afternoon, becoming more visible in the late afternoon and evening. On October 19, look southeast for a moon just over half-lit, and continue observing each afternoon to see the moon become increasingly illuminated, move eastward against the background stars, and appear later in the day.
To locate the moon in daylight, start scanning the blue sky in the mid-to-late afternoon, when it is already high enough in the sky. Once you find the moon, it can be surprisingly conspicuous against the blue sky. Using binoculars will provide a superb view at dusk, especially along the terminator—the boundary between lunar day and night.
This time period is ideal for getting to know the moon better, as the moon won't be as bright as during full moon but will still be visible and provide a great opportunity for observation.
Written by urgent.news from Space.com's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
