# How to See the Moon **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 16, 2019, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-see-the-moon/829694 "2019-02-16T23:04:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2019, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-see-the-moon/829694/1 "2019-02-16T23:04:19Z")
[Current article](https://www.nbcnews.com/mach/science/how-see-biggest-brightest-supermoon-2019-ncna972311) at NBC News on how to see the “biggest brightest supermoon.” My question is, is there anyone out there who does not know how to see the moon? We need an article for this? Hint: Look up at night. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2019, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-see-the-moon/829694/2 "2019-02-16T23:07:33Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > [Current article](https://www.nbcnews.com/mach/science/how-see-biggest-brightest-supermoon-2019-ncna972311) at NBC News on how to see the “biggest brightest supermoon.” > > My question is, is there anyone out there who does not know how to see the moon? We need an article for this? > > Hint: Look up at night. Without looking it up, referencing or remembering the article, what time does the moon rise, what time does it set, what time is it at its closest, what time is it at its fullest, and what are the cloud conditions like in your area during those times it is up? ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2019, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-see-the-moon/829694/3 "2019-02-16T23:09:51Z")
The people who need that advice are the people still gullible enough to fall for the [“supermoon” crap](https://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-news/observing-news/the-not-very-supermoon-08072014/). ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2019, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-see-the-moon/829694/4 "2019-02-16T23:10:08Z")
I’m so lame I set an alarm to remind me to go look up. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2019, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-see-the-moon/829694/5 "2019-02-17T00:32:38Z")
There was a story a number of years ago, about a girl born and raised in NYC, who actually didn’t know that you could look up and see the moon. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2019, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-see-the-moon/829694/6 "2019-02-17T01:01:20Z")
There’s a [recurrent story](https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/mars-spectacular/) that at some upcoming date, Mars will appear to be as big as the full Moon in the sky. I continue to be astonished that there are people whose astronomical knowledge is so poor that they can believe for a minute that this is remotely possible. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2019, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-see-the-moon/829694/7 "2019-02-17T01:12:13Z")
> [@markn\_1](#): > > There’s a [recurrent story](https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/mars-spectacular/) that at some upcoming date, Mars will appear to be as big as the full Moon in the sky. I continue to be astonished that there are people whose astronomical knowledge is so poor that they can believe for a minute that this is remotely possible. give it a few hundred million years, and maybe things will have moved about enough for that to be the case. Don’t know that you can predict a precise date, or whether that will actually happen. But, no matter how it gets there, if Mars shows up in the night sky of Earth as big as the full moon, someone is having a bad day. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2019, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-see-the-moon/829694/8 "2019-02-17T02:33:43Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > Without looking it up, referencing or remembering the article, what time does the moon rise, what time does it set, what time is it at its closest, what time is it at its fullest… While I can’t provide those answers without looking them up, I _ **can** _ look across the room and see my [Lunar Phases Moonlight Calendar](https://www.amazon.com/Celestial-Products-Calendar-Phases-Moonlight/dp/B07D98Z4WQ) hanging on the wall. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2019, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-see-the-moon/829694/10 "2019-02-17T05:25:37Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > Without looking it up, referencing or remembering the article, what time does the moon rise, what time does it set, what time is it at its closest, what time is it at its fullest, and what are the cloud conditions like in your area during those times it is up? Okay if it cloudy you are not going to see the moon. Also, you have to remember to go outside. Astronomy is tough. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2019, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-see-the-moon/829694/11 "2019-02-17T12:48:08Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > Without looking it up, referencing or remembering the article, what time does the moon rise, what time does it set, what time is it at its closest, what time is it at its fullest, and what are the cloud conditions like in your area during those times it is up? Well, just knowing it is a “supermoon” I know it’s going to be full, so with that piece of information I know it rises around sunset and sets around dawn. My plan for looking at a supermoon is similar to my plan to look at Superman. 1. Look! Up in the sky! ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2019, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-see-the-moon/829694/12 "2019-02-17T12:52:10Z")
I had a reflector telescope for a while and was a little surprised that I needed a filter to look at the moon, otherwise, it was way to bright. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2019, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-see-the-moon/829694/13 "2019-02-17T13:56:00Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > Hint: Look up at night. One of my favorite little skywatching things is to look for the Moon during the day. OTOH, this is a full moon so nighttime works for most people. OTOOH, it will be visible for part of the day for people in the southern hemisphere. And only during daylight if you’re stationed in Antarctica. ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2019, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-see-the-moon/829694/14 "2019-02-17T16:20:14Z")
I have taught many high school students who didn’t know the moon can be seen in the daytime. These weren’t urbanites. They were rural south Georgia kids. ---
**Author:** ![I.Dunno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9f8e36/32.png) [@I.Dunno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I.Dunno)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2019, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-see-the-moon/829694/15 "2019-02-17T18:12:36Z")
Beloved St. Louis Cardinals radio broadcaster Mike (Moon Man) Shannon once famously proclaimed during a full moon at Shea Stadium, “I wish you folks back home in St. Louis could see this moon!” ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2019, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-see-the-moon/829694/16 "2019-02-17T18:48:19Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > give it a few hundred million years, and maybe things will have moved about enough for that to be the case. Don’t know that you can predict a precise date, or whether that will actually happen. :rolleyes: If you can’t be bothered to narrow it down to an exact time, you’re really not helping me any. I’ve got plans to make, Buddy! ---
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2019, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-see-the-moon/829694/17 "2019-02-17T19:07:02Z")
> [@gatopescado](#): > > :rolleyes: If you can’t be bothered to narrow it down to an exact time, you’re really not helping me any. I’ve got plans to make, buddy! 3:36 pm ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2019, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-see-the-moon/829694/18 "2019-02-20T19:32:54Z")
Bumped to add I saw a report that this month’s supermoon was a grand total of 362 miles closer than last month’s moon, so I hope everyone was able to get out there and enjoy the 0.15% difference in distance. The glare was not as overwhelming as I would have hoped it to be; that’s for sure. ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2019, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-see-the-moon/829694/19 "2019-02-20T19:52:18Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > :rolleyes: If you can’t be bothered to narrow it down to an exact time, you’re really not helping me any. I’ve got plans to make, Buddy! He did narrow down an exact time. Nighttime. ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2019, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-see-the-moon/829694/20 "2019-02-20T21:24:47Z")
How can I tell when it is night? ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2019, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-see-the-moon/829694/21 "2019-02-20T22:00:37Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > There was a story a number of years ago, about a girl born and raised in NYC, who actually didn’t know that you could look up and see the moon. Why would they want to? Everything they need is right there in The City.