Yo people. I have a silly question, maybe someone here can answer it for me. I've tried Google but I'm not finding anyone asking the question that I have. It's frustrating because I'm sure it's an easy question to answer.
Assume you're in the US, you can see the moon during the day and at night. Then how is it possible for people in, say China to see the moon during the day and night as well?
Shouldn't line of sight make that impossible? If the moon is on one side of the Earth then people on the otherside shouldn't be able to see it. How can anyone anywhere see the physical object at all times?
I'm sure there's an easy answer for this, any answer will help. Thanks.
I'm not an expert in....well anything...but I'd gather that we don't see the moon at the same time anyway? Also the moon shows up for you in the morning? @.@
I don't think it is possible to see the moon a full 24 hours a day. At most is should be around 12 hours, that may be able to account why you may be able to see where the moon is during the day at certain points. You also have to take into consideration that the moon is also rotating around the earth; so that may change the amount of time you can see the moon.
Ugh, remembering stuff from my Astronomy class a year ago is making my head hurt.
" Not all day long, but I can see the moon throughout most of the day. Edit: Though I haven't been checking lately. Maybe I should keep a journal and track the moon for a while to be sure. "
well, where do you live? if you live really close to the north or south pole, you'll see the moon more I think
I see the moon In the morning. And one really weird time I seen the moon at like 5:00 PM. I thought it was something else, but nope, it was clearly the moon.
Perhaps what the dilemma is about is the fact that you don't have to be bang on to see the Moon. People at twelve and six on the clock (so to speak) can still see the moon, but people on the left side of the earth (in that diagram) can't see the moon until the earth spins around to where they can see it.
The moon rises and sets at different times of the day on different days of the year. If you see it most of the day, you're not going to see it most of the night.
People on the other side of the Earth won't see the moon until the Earth spins enough so that their side is pointing towards it.
God I wish I could provide a more in depth answer because we did a lot of stuff on the moon in astronomy, but most of the info escapes me. I know all about the phases and such but that might not be relevant to this...
Holograms. It's how we fool our enemies. Hell, your astronauts sent a bunch of monkeys to the hologram. They landed on the real one, though, the lucky bastards.
The Earth spins slightley off of its axis while the moon orbits it, therefore at different places on Earth at different times of the year you will see the moon for different amounts of time. Hope this helps.
I believe it has something to do with light bending past a certain distance and how that allows your eyes to see over things that you shouldn't be able to. I read something about it in an article somewhere but I can't find it.
This answer is not complicated. If you can see the moon, someone on the other side of the Earth can not. Simple as that.
Now, as to why you are seeing it in the day right now, the answer is also simple: Summer. In the northern hemisphere, the days are longer right now. Because of this, the moon (rising at its usual time) appears to be in the sky during the day - because while the moon's timing hasn't changed, the day cycle has. In the winter you will never see the moon during the day, yet in these long summer nights you will every single day.
To further explain both properties together - everyone on the northern hemisphere will see the moon during the day right now. A person on the opposite side of the earth, but also in the north (specfically at the same latitudinal position), will see the moon the same exact amount of hours a day as you are. The difference will be that while they are seeing it, you won't be. Because where we live, the time of day will be 12 hours different (if they're on the exact opposite side). So if it's 9 PM at this theoretical opposite point, they will see the moon in their still day lit evening sky. And on our side? It's 9 AM and we won't see the moon at all.
Hope that helped. I can't believe how many crazy explanations there were here! :D
okay look at it this way. I actually took an astronomy class so let me explain this to you. You can see the moon day and night but you still can only see it for 12 hours and than you wont see it for 12 hours it's just that the moons orientation with the earth isn't lined up with the sun so the time that the moon rises and sets isn't in sync with the sun allowing for you to see the moon in both day and night but not for 24 hours at a time. The earths orbit causes people in china to see the moon overhead about 12 hours after we do but the moons orientation to the earth and the sun moves in 30 day cycles.
" The moon orbits the earth, sometimes you can see it, sometimes you can't. night and day cycles don't have anything to do with it. "
well that's not the full story though, the moons rise and set is due to the earths orbit while the moons rise and set in relation to the suns moves in a 30 day cycle due to the moons orbit around the earth.
@MB: that's true and once you've reached the north pole the stars will simple whirl around in circles rather than rise or set. But the moon at that point will never be overhead always near the horizon.
This answer is not complicated. If you can see the moon, someone on the other side of the Earth can not. Simple as that.
Now, as to why you are seeing it in the day right now, the answer is also simple: Summer. In the northern hemisphere, the days are longer right now. Because of this, the moon (rising at its usual time) appears to be in the sky during the day - because while the moon's timing hasn't changed, the day cycle has. In the winter you will never see the moon during the day, yet in these long summer nights you will every single day.
To further explain both properties together - everyone on the northern hemisphere will see the moon during the day right now. A person on the opposite side of the earth, but also in the north (specfically at the same latitudinal position), will see the moon the same exact amount of hours a day as you are. The difference will be that while they are seeing it, you won't be. Because where we live, the time of day will be 12 hours different (if they're on the exact opposite side). So if it's 9 PM at this theoretical opposite point, they will see the moon in their still day lit evening sky. And on our side? It's 9 AM and we won't see the moon at all. Hope that helped. I can't believe how many crazy explanations there were here! :D "
to be honest I'm kind of shocked by this explanation and it's funny how you say there were some crazy explanations. Okay the moon does not have a set time that it rises and sets, understand that our clocks are based on the suns rising and falling. The moon changes its orientation with the earth and sun as it orbits the earth and so rises and falls at different times when compared to our sun based clocks. Your explanation about summer and winter really has no bearing, and it's not true that you'll never see the moon during the day during winter as the moons time of rise and fall moves in a 30 day cycle regardless of the season. It's really amazing how people can explain things and act like they know something without having actually learned about the subject in any detail.
Just check your local newspaper for the tidal information. (if you live at the coast) Most coastal areas experience two high and two low tides per day. One of these high tides is at the point on the earth which is closest to the moon. The other high tide is at the opposite point on the earth.
Humorously enough I saw the moon in the morning this week for the first time ever, and immediately thought of this comment I left. Yeah, you're right about the moon keeping its own separate 'schedule', of course. I guess what I was trying to say was that you're more likely to see the moon during the 'day' when it's summer - due to the fact that there is more day in which to see it!
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