I half-remember being told the answer once. Something about the lens I think.
2006-07-28 08:28:52 · 11 answers · asked by SimplePsymon 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
It is because in real life, you have other items to compare it to. If you were to take a picture of the moon, but include in the corner of the picture a house or a tree, the moon would look much bigger in the picture. That is also why the moon appears bigger on the horizon and smaller when it's high in the sky. There are houses and trees to compare it to on the horizon, but nothing to compare it to in the sky. I was told that the moon is the same size wherever it is in the sky. I mean, if you held a ruler at arm's length and measured the moon on the horizon, and then again later when it was straight up, the measurements would be the same.
2006-07-28 09:22:05 · answer #1 · answered by Brianman3 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You're correct.... it has to do with the lens. A 50 mm lens setting (most cameras now have a zoom lens with 50mm being near mid-range), will give you the closest approximation to the shapes and sizes seen with the human eye. However, most of us don't set our cameras to 50mm, so the relative sizes of things will appear slightly distorted in the final picture.
2006-07-28 15:34:28 · answer #2 · answered by fiveamrunner 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
When you are looking at it, your eyes and mind are focusing on the moon. Our eyes only focus on a small portion of a scene compared to a camera's lens.
When you take a photograph, the camera is recording the actual scene without such a bias. Therefore, the moon appears as what it is - a small object in the sky relative to the size of the sky.
2006-07-28 16:31:52 · answer #3 · answered by Polymath 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Cuz the camera lens are specifically designed in such a way that more things fit into the picture, because it has to be imprinted onto film, which is very small so the image can't be too large (or you can just zoom it) or else, you won't be able to get it all to fit into the film.
2006-07-28 15:33:05 · answer #4 · answered by Mujareh 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Mostly because when you are looking at the moon with your eyes you have the trees and environment around you to compare it to, but with a camera it usually eliminates that comparison....Optical illusion
2006-07-28 15:32:07 · answer #5 · answered by daanzig 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because of the focal length of the lens in your camera.
2006-07-28 15:44:51 · answer #6 · answered by Jeffrey S 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because you printed the wrong size picture. If you print it to 16"x20", you will get a bigger moon.
2006-07-28 16:03:46 · answer #7 · answered by Bruce__MA 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
camera lens cannot automatically adjust or focus on an object like human eyes can.
2006-07-28 16:02:45 · answer #8 · answered by x overmyhead 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well I know if you zoom it will look bigger...
2006-07-28 15:31:44 · answer #9 · answered by alyssa_the_great21 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
"Image may appear larger than it seems"
2006-07-28 15:32:03 · answer #10 · answered by empowered2008 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋