“The Phenomenon of the Moon during the Day: Scientific Explanation”

Bandung – Has it ever crossed your mind why the moon, which is usually seen at night when the sky is dark, can still be seen during the day?

Collect detikEdu from the Live Science page, the appearance of the Moon during the day is caused by the Earth’s atmosphere and our satellite’s natural orbit cycle.

Atmosphere and Appearance of the Moon During the Day

Gas particles in the atmosphere are known to scatter light with short wavelengths, such as the blue and purple light that gives Earth its blue sky.

This causes, if the moon wants to be seen during the day then it must be able to overcome the scattered light from the sun, as conveyed by professor of astronomy and astrophysics at Villanova University, Pennsylvania, Edward Guinan.

The moon will not be visible from Earth for two or three days around the new moon. This is caused by the position of the sun’s light which is scattered brighter than the light belonging to the moon.

However, due to the relative proximity of the Moon to Earth (384,400 km on average), the light reflected by the Moon appears brighter than other celestial objects that reflect light at a greater distance.

Guinan added, even though the light of the Moon or other stars is so bright, the light cannot beat the sunlight that is spread across our sky so that we cannot see it during the day.

The brightness of these celestial bodies is measured by astronomers using the brightness of the surface by measuring the amount of light emitted in the night sky.

The close distance of the Moon and Earth compared to other stars causes the brightness of the Moon’s surface to be greater than the brightness of the sky’s surface. Guinan explained that this phenomenon makes it easier for us to see the Moon during the day.

However, there are several other factors that affect the appearance of the moon during the day, such as the phases of the moon, the seasons and the brightness of the sky.

Phases To See The Moon During The Day

The moon is known to be above the horizon for 12 hours a day, but its appearance may not always align with the time of day. In winter, the days are shorter and the moon is less visible during the day.

Guinan also added that the best time to see the moon during the day is during the week after the new moon phase where the moon can be seen rising in the eastern sky.

Also, the week after the full moon is the best time to see the moon during the day. The reason is, the moon will be seen in the morning and will set in the western sky.

These two time periods are the longest during which the moon will be visible side by side with the sun in the sky, with an average of five to six hours a day.

Unfortunately, during the full moon we cannot see the lunar phenomenon during the day. Written on the NASA website, the full moon phenomenon causes the moon to be opposite the sun.

In this phase the moon will appear in the sky at sunset and will set when the sun starts to rise. However, the phenomenon of the moon being completely invisible during the day only occurs in one day.

This article was published on detikEdu with the title The Phenomenon of the Moon during the Day, Here’s the Scientific Explanation

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