Postby ClosetOtaku » Tue Aug 10, 2004 6:58 pm
No, but not because it is invisible. Like starlight during the day, the Sun blocks out whatever dim outline the New Moon might have. During rare occasion, the Moon will interpose itself between the Earth and Sun, resulting in one of three types of solar eclipses (partial, total, annular), in which case the New Moon becomes "visible" in a sense because it is now blocking sunlight. Otherwise, however, you are unable to see the New Moon because of the Sun's light. The "lit" side of the moon, of course, is totally facing away from Earth.
Only a few times in history has starlight been visible during the day -- this includes the supernova that appeared in the constellations Cancer (now the Crab Nebula) and Cassiopeia ("Tycho's Star"). Even the brightest object (next to the Sun and the Moon), Venus, is only visible in morning or evening after the Sun has dipped well towards the horizon. So, it is not surprising we should not be able to see the Moon with zero reflected sunlight (and only dim reflected light from Earth, known as 'earthshine').
Does that answer the question, or is there a mystical component involved?