Stars actually shine both during the day and at night, but we can only see them at night because of the Sun's overwhelming brightness.
The Sun's Influence
The primary reason we don't see stars during the day is the intense light from our own star, the Sun. Here's why:
- Daytime Sky Brightness: The Sun is incredibly bright, and its light scatters throughout the Earth's atmosphere, creating the bright blue sky we see during the day.
- Dim Star Light: Compared to the Sun, stars are extremely far away and their light is much, much dimmer.
- Contrast Effect: The bright daytime sky simply washes out the faint light from distant stars, making them invisible to our eyes. As noted in the reference, “During the day our star, the Sun, makes our sky so bright that we cannot see the much dimmer stars.”
Nighttime Visibility
At night, when the Sun has set, the Earth blocks its light. This allows us to see the stars:
- Dark Sky: With the sun's light no longer scattering in the atmosphere, the sky becomes dark.
- Visible Stars: The stars, which were always shining, are now able to be seen because the background light is significantly reduced. As the reference states, "At night, when the sky is dark, the light of the stars can be seen."
Summary
| Factor | Daytime | Nighttime |
|---|---|---|
| Sky Brightness | Very bright due to the Sun's light | Dark, with minimal background light |
| Star Visibility | Invisible due to the bright background | Visible because the sky is dark |
| Sun's Role | Dominant light source | No direct light |
Therefore, stars are always shining, but the Sun's brightness makes them visible only at night.
