In some nights, why does the moon look larger and/or smaller?

Answer 1

It's the illusion of position. I saw it earlier tonight just over the trees, orange big and ripe. Then just now high in the sky - tiny. Or so it seemed. Thanks for asking this evocative question.

Answer 2

That is a question that many astronomers and other scientits have asked for years. We know by measurment of the moon on the horizion v.s Zenith (above your head) that there is very little differnace between the size of the moon. Really we are a little closer to the moon when it is overhead then we are most night when it is rising, so it's really larger overhead by an inpercivable amount. Yet it looks larger when it is rising. Many folks claim that the atmosphere has a "lens type" effect and makes the moon or sun look larger on the horizon. This "lens effect" has been proven not to exist..so the atmosphere bending the light making the moon look larger is just not so, and I know this to be a fact. The moon also does travel around the Earth in an elipse so at some points it is closer and others it if farther away, I have photographed the moon at both points. By using graphic programs to superimpose the photographs over each other there is a differnace in size, but much like the moon being larger overhead this is not a large enough differnace to make an perciable diffence. So what is it?

One of the theories I have read able and also one that I find very possable is each person perception of the moon and not it's actual size. When the moon is a thin creasent is set shortly after sunset or rises just before sunrise. At this point it's not very dark yet and with the crescent being thin we percive the moon as small. Around quarter moon the moon is up at sun set and at about lunar "noon" or it's highest point in the sky. The area of the moon again is along about half it's maximium and it sets about 6 hours after sunset when most of us are asleep, so we don't see it set. When the moon is this high in the sky we have nothing to compare it to, so it seems small compared to the rest of the vast sky. The around full moon something a little differnt happens. The moon is full and at it's largest, it's rising over the horizion right at sunset. Just starting to peak above the horizon when we are all still awake to see it. If we are in a position to see the moon come over the horizion we are going to be seeing the moon coming over objects fimilar to us such as trees, building, cars, houses large objects yet they will be on the horizon so they are far away. Our brains know that these objects are large yet in angular size is small because of their distance yet our brains still see them as large. The the moon comes up right around these large objects and it's even larger! So our brains percive the moon as being huge, much larger then it percives it when the moon is not around anything or behind a tree in our yard when a few leaves over it up. This theory can be tested, but putting our brains off balance and look at things in a differnt perspecive we can make the large moon on the horizon effect "go away" Turn your back to the moon and then look at it by putting your head between your legs, looking at it upside down give a new perspective and the moon look just as large as it does when it is overhead even though it is close to fimilar objects.

The whole thing just comes down to optical illusion.

Answer 3

While the orbit of the moon is indeed elliptical, it does not change size perceptably in the sky (unless you have extremely accurate eyes). What you're probably experiencing has to do with how large the moon looks compared to nearby objects - when the moon is near the horizon, there are more things with which to compare it, and its size is plainly visible. When closer to your zenith (the point in the sky directly above your head), it's surrounded by loads of plain ol' space, and that can make anything look (or feel) small.

Answer 4

It is actually a psychological mis-perception.

We instinctively think that objects in the sky directly overhead are farther away than objects closer to the horizon.

So, we think the moon looks smaller when it is right overhead and we think the moon looks larger when it is low in the sky.

I know it is not easy to believe that our assumptions affect our perceptions. But they do.

Answer 5

The moon appears larger the closer it is to the horizon because objects on the ground give it a different frame of reference.

Answer 6

Moon is the only natural satellite of planet earth, since earth and moon are revolving in an orbit, there are times when they come near and other times they are far...further to your knowledge we can see only 45-55% of moon surface from earth rest is always hidden .

Answer 7

When the moon has just risen and its color is amber, it also looks bigger because (1) it is not so shiny and you can look at it better, and (2) you can compare it with the shapes of buildings and trees on the horizon. Thus it looks bigger, perhaps.

Answer 8

Because the orbit of the moon is elliptical, meaning egg shaped.

Answer 9

It is an illusion.

Answer 10

becuse ur so nice