Can you see the Moon during the day?

KohakuHave you ever seen a white moon floating quietly in a blue sky?

The answer in 30 seconds

Let me first explain in 30 seconds why the Moon can be seen in the daytime.

Yes, the Moon can be seen during the day. The Moon does not make its own light; it shines by reflecting sunlight, and it is bright enough to be seen even against a blue daytime sky. A NASA scientist explains that the Moon spends about as much time in the daytime sky as it does in the night sky. Whether you can see it depends on where the Moon is at the time.

A white half moon in a blue daytime sky — A half moon in the blue daytime sky. The Moon shines brightly enough to be seen even in the daytime.Photo: Šarūnas Burdulis from USA / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons

Stars can't be seen, but the Moon can

The stars do not disappear from the sky during the day. The sky is simply too bright for their faint light to be seen. The Moon, however, reflects sunlight and shines brightly enough to be seen even in the daytime sky. So if it is in a part of the sky that is easy to see, you can see it day or night.

First quarter in the afternoon, last in the morning

Whether the Moon is in the daytime sky depends on its shape at the time. According to NASA (the U.S. space agency), the first quarter moon, one of the half moons, rises around noon and sets around midnight, so it is easy to find in the afternoon sky. The last quarter moon, on the other hand, rises around midnight and sets around noon, so it is easier to find in the morning sky.

KohakuFirst quarter moon in the afternoon, last quarter moon in the morning. Choosing the right time makes it easier to find.

Around the full moon and the new moon

A few days before the full moon, you can see a nearly round moon rising in the eastern sky before sunset. A few days after the full moon, the setting moon is still in the western sky after sunrise. Around the new moon, the Moon rises and sets together with the Sun, but its unlit side faces Earth, so it cannot be seen even in the daytime sky.

Figure: When the Moon is easy to spot in the daytime

Times and directions are rough guides. They change with the season and where you live.

A little later every day

As the Moon changes shape, the time it sets gets later by about 50 minutes each day. The hours when the Moon can be seen also change with the season and where you live. When you look for the Moon in the daytime, it is easier to find if you check the moonrise and moonset times for your area before you look up.

Want to know more?

In our solar system, only the Sun shines with its own light. The Moon and Earth both look bright because sunlight falls on them.
Around the time of a thin crescent moon, you can sometimes faintly see the dark part of the Moon. This is sunlight reflected by Earth lighting up the Moon, and it is called earthshine.

KohakuThe Moon shines brightly enough to be seen even in the daytime sky. If it is in an easy-to-see spot, you can find it during the day, too.

Quick quiz: test yourself

Can you see the Moon in the daytime sky?

Show the answer

Only at night
Yes, sometimes
Only on the day of a full moon

Yes, sometimes The Moon reflects sunlight and is bright enough to be seen even in the blue daytime sky. Whether you can see it depends on where it is.

Sources

Moon PhasesNASA Science
Episode 19: We Asked a NASA Scientist: Why Can You See the Moon During the Day?NASA
Why can we sometimes see the moon during the day?Ask Dr. Universe, Washington State University

This article was written after checking the sources above as of 2026-10-03. Explanations may change as research progresses. Photo credits are shown below each photo.