“Why We Can See the Moon During the Day: Explained by Astronomers”

Jakarta –

The moon is synonymous with night because that’s when we can see it. However, do we often find the Moon visible in the sky during the day? Why does it happen?

Quoting Live Science, the phenomenon of the Moon appearing during the day is a result of the Earth’s atmosphere and the Earth’s natural orbit cycle. There are gas particles in the atmosphere that can scatter light with short waves, for example the blue light that makes the sky on Earth blue.

According to astronomer and astrophysicist from Villanova University, Edward Guinan, the moon can be seen during the day must be able to overcome the scattered light from the sun. The time when the Moon cannot be seen is 2-3 days when the new moon is old.

The Distance of the Moon and the Near Earth

The average relative proximity of Earth and Earth is about 384,400 km. This makes the light reflected from the Moon look brighter than other celestial objects because it has a greater distance from Earth.

According to Guinan, even though the moon’s light is brighter on Earth, it still won’t beat the brightness of the sun. Due to the very bright sunlight, the moon cannot be seen in the sky during the day.

The brightness of celestial bodies can be measured using surface brightness by measuring the amount of light emitted when the sky is dark.

Right Time to See the Moon at Noon

The moon is above the horizon for 12 hours per day. Sightings can be shorter if it’s winter time because the days are shorter.

The best time to view the Moon during the day is one week after the new moon phase when the moon is rising in the eastern sky. In addition, the daytime Moon can be seen one week after the full moon.

In these two periods, the Moon will be seen side by side with the Sun in the sky for 5-6 hours a day. The time when we cannot see the Moon phenomenon during the day is during the full moon.

This is because the Moon is opposite the Sun. At this time, the Moon appears in the sky when the Sun sets and rises. But you don’t need to worry, you can’t see the moon when the full moon only happens for one day.

Watch Video “Note! There will be a penumbral lunar eclipse on May 5 and 6, 2023“

(pal/pal)