Why couldn't we actually see the moon

[axle01]

This may be a noobs question but some days you can see the moon in the middle of the day so why is it that before the moon started to cross the sun why couldn't we see it.

[Mark_Heli]

Hi Alan,

The reason is becase the Sun is behind the moon, so there is no reflected sunlight hitting the side of the moon facing the earth.

When you see the moon during the day (or night), you are seeing that part of the moon which has reflected sunlight.

Cheers,
Mark

[andyc]

Interestingly, it is actually possible to see the Moon's surface during an eclipse. Normally we don't because the contrast is so great, but these photos show what's hidden in the glare (not by me, but by someone very enterprising, described in the second link:
http://www.digitalsky.org.uk/solar/tse-20060329/tse-earthshine.html

http://www.astronomyforum.net/uk-astronomy-forum/57106-total-eclipse-earthshine.html

Earthshine, or "the old moon in the new Moon's arms", (the glow of the Earth illuminating the otherwise night-time face of the Moon) is commonly visible when the moon is a crescent. It's at it's brightest at New Moon, when Earth is full in the sky of the darkened near side of the Moon, we normally don't see much of it because the moon is too near the Sun...

[axle01]

Thanks Andy and Mark, i appreciate that, now i understand.

[Poita]

I was hoping to take some shots that showed the moon as well, but the clouds spoiled it.

As said by other posters, the moon is only being lit by 'Earthlight' so is too dim to see with the naked eye during the day and in such apparent proximity to the Sun.

You can see why eclipses freaked people out, it looks as if you can actually see through the missing part of the Sun, i.e. that something is eating it up.