The Moon is visible during the day because it reflects sunlight and is bright enough to be seen against the blue sky, as long as it is in the right position in the sky. The Moon is above the horizon for about 12 hours each day, so part of that time usually overlaps with daylight hours. Its brightness surpasses that of stars and planets, whose light is overwhelmed by the Sun during the day. The Moon’s phases and its orbit around Earth affect when it is visible in the daytime sky, with the best visibility during the first and last quarter phases. It is not visible near the new Moon phase (when it is too close to the Sun) or near the full Moon phase (when it is opposite the Sun and only visible at night). Atmospheric scattering of sunlight creates a bright blue sky, but the Moon’s reflected light can still be seen if it is sufficiently illuminated and positioned away from the Sun in the sky.
