Afternoon Moon, Blue Sky at Night Visible This Week: Here's How and When To See It

Many people wonder why sometimes the Moon can be seen even during the daytime. On June 3, the afternoon Moon will be visible and will be mostly seen in North America, Europe, and Africa as it ascends on the sky. Residents in these regions need only to gaze toward the eastern direction after midday to spot the afternoon Moon.

Why does Afternoon Moon happen?

For centuries, the Moon has captivated humanity with its presence in the night sky. Yet, it can also be observed during daylight hours, leading many to wonder why this phenomenon occurs.

According to Live Science, the Moon is visible during the day as it reflects sunlight. The Moon's proximity to Earth contributes to its brightness, surpassing that of the daytime or nighttime sky.

However, the moon is not consistently visible during the day. The Earth's atmosphere and the Moon's orbital cycle play significant roles in its visibility. If Earth lacked an atmosphere, the moon would be visible at all times. Additionally, the Moon's phases impact its visibility, as during the new moon phase, the illuminated side faces away from us, rendering it nearly invisible.

The scattering of light by the gas particles in Earth's atmosphere, such as nitrogen and oxygen, creates a blue sky by dispersing shorter wavelengths of light. To be visible during the day, the moon must overcome the scattered sunlight.

Although it may be invisible to observers on Earth for a couple of days around the new moon, its proximity allows the light it reflects to appear brighter than more distant celestial objects like stars or planets.

The moon spends approximately 12 hours above the horizon each day, but its visibility may vary depending on factors, such as the season and location.

When to See the Afternoon Moon?

The optimal moments to observe the moon during daylight occur approximately one week after the new moon during the first quarter and one week after the full moon during the third quarter.

Forbes reported that during the week leading up to the full moon, the moon is in its 50%-first quarter phase, known as the waxing gibbous Moon. It progressively becomes brighter each day, with the first quarter moon rising around noon and setting around midnight.

This pattern will continue throughout the week, with the Moon rising 50 minutes later each day. To determine the specific moonrise time in your location, it is advisable to check the local lunar schedule.

Blue Sky At Night

As per NASA, the sky is blue because of how sunlight interacts with the gases and particles present in Earth's atmosphere, which causes it to scatter in different directions. Among the different colors of light, blue light is scattered more prominently compared to others due to its shorter wavelength and smaller waves.

But a blue sky at night could also be visible. Nathan Myhrvold, former chief technology officer at Microsoft, told Forbes in an email that the proximity of the solstice and the Sun's position compromised the darkness of the night sky this time of year, particularly at northern latitudes, where the Sun remains just six degrees below the horizon.

However, during a full moon, an abundance of sunlight fills the sky, creating a luminous glow. Despite this glow, the Moon's light is considerably faint in comparison to the Sun's brightness, which is why it does not appear blue to us.

Check out more news and information on Moon in Science Times.