Since childhood, an idea has formed in our head that the Sun can be seen during the day, and the Moon at night. The sphere of "activity" of the heavenly bodies was clearly distributed. However, a strange fact is evident: quite often the night star is visible in the middle of the day. Is it a paradox or just gaps in our astronomical knowledge? Definitely the second option. And in our article, we will try to explain in simple language why the moon is visible in the afternoon.
Reasons for the visibility or invisibility of objects in the sky
Different celestial bodies in sight from the Earth are noticeable to varying degrees. The sun is incomparably brighter against the background of the day sky than the moon at night. At the same time, we remember that the distance from the satellite to the Earth is much smaller, space less. Understanding this is important when we examine the question of why the moon is visible during the day.
There is such a thing as the brightness of cosmic bodies - magnitude. For them to be clearly visible in the daytime, their brightness should be much greater than that of the daytime sky. So, the magnitude of a clear sky in the daytime is 9.5, and the moon - 12.7. The excess is obvious, and therefore the satellite should be noticeable in all respects, although not in very contrast with the background. Here is the simplest and most understandable explanation for us, not astronomers, to why the moon is visible during the day.
When can the moon and the sun be seen at the same time?
We have perfectly learned since childhood that the moon revolves around the earth, and the earth revolves around the sun. To this we must add that the planet is moving around its axis. The heavenly bodies seem to be in constant dance, changing positions. And this is extremely important to take into account, figuring out when and why the moon is visible during the day.
Given all the conditions, you can see the Moon with the Sun together only at the full moon. At this time, the sunset and moonrise coincide. The rest of the time, the satellite should theoretically be visible during the day. But here other factors play a role. Better the Moon is noticeable in the daytime sky during periods when it approaches the full phase, the angular distance from the Sun is greater. In other phases, growing and aging, the side of the satellite illuminated by the Sun is small and turned towards it. Accordingly, a narrow strip of a young month during the day will be extremely difficult to consider. That is why the moon is not always visible during the day: sometimes it is simply difficult to notice.
The properties of the atmosphere and the contrast of astronomical bodies
The atmosphere of our planet in the daytime is blue (we immediately imagine a clear sky). Also, due to the scattered particles of light from the Sun, it is bright. It is the brightness of the Earth’s day atmosphere that drowns the brightness of the Moon. The latter, due to atmospheric balls, could also be visible to us in blue, however, low contrast makes it difficult to do so. If the Moon appears in the sky in the afternoon, then this is most often a pale spot that is easily overlooked. However, this did not prevent astronomers from conducting their research on the satellite’s surface even during daylight hours.
Thus, we understand that light in the atmosphere of our planet prevents us from seeing the noticeable contour of the moon, like at night. A significant part of its cycle, the satellite is in a position where it is clearly visible next to the Sun in the daytime. Therefore, even more urgent is the question of why the Moon is not visible during the day, and why it is not so clearly visible.
Experiments with photographs of the surface of the moon
Despite the pallor of the contour, the moon is visible during the day with the naked eye. Astronomers could not miss such a moment: since it can be seen without equipment, then what will happen if technology is applied? Experiments began with photographing the surface of the moon during the day. I must say that their quality was pretty good, given the atmospheric conditions. The first such picture was taken using a conventional digital camera attached to a telescope. The result was expected: due to the low contrast of the moon against the background of the daytime sky, its image was blurry.
The experiment was continued under the same conditions and with the same technique, however, in the black and white color mode. The picture turned out to be a bit more contrast. To improve the image, we used the familiar "Photoshop". Processing made it look like one of the shots that come with evening photography. Thus, in the photo it became possible to consider relief objects. It is noteworthy that both large craters (Grimaldi, Gassendi, Aristarchus) and smaller ones are clearly visible.
The experiments with shooting the lunar surface in the afternoon, cited as an example, prove that the satellite is not just visible in daylight. It can even be explored from the astronomical side. In our opinion, the question of why the moon is visible during the day has already found a very clear answer.
conclusions
There are many mysteries in space for us, but mankind has managed to some extent to study the nearest objects. The night luminary, the satellite of the Earth - objects of romantic views, accustomed to contemplate it only in the dark. However, the moon can also be seen during the day, dividing the firmament with the sun.
In our article, we tried to understand in simple terms why the moon can be seen during the day and what is the reason for the fact that sometimes we do not notice it. We hope that we have helped you expand your knowledge of the world around us.