The moon is visible in the daytime for a few days before and after a full moon – when the moon is in its gibbous phase.
Daytime moon in May 2025
When to see: As the full moon will fall on May 12, 2025, the moon will be visible in the daytime from May 5 to 11, 2025 – when the moon is in its waxing gibbous phase.
Where to look: Look in the eastern sky around an hour before sunset for the daytime waxing gibbous moon.
It will be visible lower in the eastern sky on consecutive days as the moon rises and sets on average 50 minutes later each day.
Why is the moon sometimes visible during the day?
Each month, the moon spends as much time in the daytime sky as it does in the night sky.
However, there are certain windows of each month when sunlight reflected from the moon is bright enough to be noticeable against the daytime blue sky.
A full moon is bright enough, but it is not visible in the daytime, as it rises around sunset and sets around sunrise.
For a few days before a full moon – during the waxing gibbous phase – the moon rises before sunset and sets before sunrise. It is bright enough to be visible in the eastern sky in the afternoon.
Similarly, for a few days after a full moon – during the waning gibbous phase – the moon rises after sunset and sets after sunrise. It is bright enough to be visible in the western sky in the morning.
Can a new moon be visible during the day?
A new moon rises and sets with the sun. So it is up in the sky throughout the day.
However, a new moon is not visible in the daytime because the side of the moon that faces Earth gets no sunlight. So it reflects no sunlight.
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