why does the moon sometimes look bigger?

[chrissiekins]

Why does the moon sometimes appear much larger when it is lower in the sky? Sometimes, it is bright orange/red too - spooky!

[gammaray]

it's orbit, on occasions, brings it closer to the earth. It's the dust in the atmosphere that appears to taint the moon red

[gen2]

It is an optical illusion. When the moon is high in the sky, there is nothing to compare it with and you see it as its actual size as viewed from the earth. When the moon is close to the horizon, particularly around dusk or dawn, there are local objects to compare it with (trees, houses, fields etc.). Now we all know that the further away an object is, the smaller it appears. If we see a human 1 mile away we still know it is a normal sized human and not a minute dwarf because our brain automatically scales it up, It does the same with the moon when we have reference points to judge that it is a long way off, and so we judge the moon's real size to be much larger than we actually see it.

[Mudman]

It's true.. That's why any photogaphs taken of a 'huge' moon on the horizon never come out right. The camera see's the moon at the same distance throughout it's 'arc'.

[aka estie]

There are so many competing explanations for this - just google "moon illusion". Very interesting stuff...

[gammaray]

gen if you see a 1 inch tall guy, is he really one inch tall, or just very far away?

[THECORBYLOON]

Re the 1 inch guy, some folk think that motoring accidents involving children are caused by the fact that the brain assumes the figure of a child is in fact, a more distant adult. As an incorrect distance is assumed, the driver believes more time is available to slow down but of course there isn't and the child is knocked down.

[CT]

Back to the enlarged moon. If you ever see this, you can counteract the optical illusion by looking at it upside down. Magically, the moon will return to it's normal size.

[mibn2cweus]

CT, I think your supposed to look at it from between your legs. Then it's called . . .

(,,> lunasee! <..)

. . . unless your trousers rip. Then it's called . . .

c�> mooning <�?

don't ask me how I know that.

[CT]

lol mibn2cweus. I suppose you could stand on your head and it would still work, but it may well be more difficult that way.