why does the moon appear bigger when it is closer to the horizon compared to when it higher in the sky?

Question

the distance between the earth and the moon doesn'tchange, so how does the size change so drastically? is it just persective?

you have answered why it changes color no whyit appears larger.

Answer 1

yes most people are answering this incorrectly, and that causes confusion.

it is PURELY an optical illusion, has nothing to do with the atmosphere or anything

here is an excellent website, with pictures and other similar optical illusions to illustrate the idea.

http://www.mindspring.com/~jeffpo/moonillu.htm

Answer 2

Wrong. It is nothing to do with refraction. It is purely an optical illusion.

Test it. get a telescope and set the magnification so that the moon just about fills the field of view.

View the moon with the same magnification when it rises, then 6 hours later when it is highest in the sky.

It fills the field of view exactly the same on both occasions.

Yes it is perspective. The effect can be tested if you can see the moon rise against a featureless horizon (the sea) and then see it rise against distant familiar objects like trees or houses - then it looks big.

The most impressive effect is if you see it rise over distant mountains. It may even appear bigger than some of the mountains, which tricks your brain into thinking it is huge. If you could suddenly shoot over to near the mountains, so that the mountains now look huge, the moon would look tiny and insignificant.

(Why do people guess the answer - it just causes confusion. The last respondant is talking garbage - the moon is no nearer when viewed on the horizon or overhead. For goodness sake look your facts up, and don't spiel things you don't really know)

Answer 3

It's an optical illusion. Your eyes perceive objects on the horizon to appear larger than objects higher in the sky, but if you were to use a ruler or something to measure what you were seeing, both the moon near the horizon and the moon higher up would register the same. (Contrary to popular belief, this effect isn't caused by any kind of light-refraction. It's just an optical illusion.)

Answer 4

It is all perspective. When the moon is closer to the horizon, it is also closer to images such as buildings, trees, mountains, etc. Thus it seems to be larger. When the moon is high up in the sky there is nothing to compare it to and it seem to get smaller. If you would take a picture of the moon at different times and measure the diameter, you would find it to always be the same size.

Answer 5

Chuck, It appears larger because it's closeness to familiar objects we perceive it to be larger. When it is higher in the sky, it is away from other objects, and it seems to shrink. This is a good example of how humans can misconstrue. Try looking at the moon when it is low on the horizon by bending over and looking at it from between your legs. I think it'll look regular sized when it's low on the horizon then.

Answer 6

All these other answers are crap. Actually, The moon is on an ecliptical orbit. On warmer nights the moon is attracted to the earth by up to 20%. Thats why the moon sometimes looks bigger. When its at the horizon the moon thinks the earth is warm. But then when it gets close or "bigger" It starts to get dark and cooler outside so I pushes back to its original point. This point where the moon sits when it is cold is called the "moon far point". But thats another question and answer all together.

Answer 7

it is the way u see it. when it is on the horizon, it appears bigger because the light being reflected thru the atmosphere. the sun does the same thing as it sets. look at how a prism works...light at certain distances reflect different colors, that is how astronomers can tell how far objects are in deep space. therefore, objects at further distances to u and going thru the atmosphere will reflect a red color. that is why the moon appears reddish closer to the horizon. the sky is reddish orange at sunset when light travels further and blue when the sun is overhead and traveling thru less atmosphere.

Answer 8

The horizon supplies your suggestions distance clues and reasons you to mentally zoom in. once you spot the moon up intense and all on my own without reference as to distance, your suggestions promptly zooms out each and each of how. in case you measue the width of the moon by preserving your finger at hands distance and evaluating the moon to your finger, you will see that it is not possibly any wider on the horizon. Mountains could additionally look plenty larger once you have homes or different gadgets interior the foreground.

Answer 9

when you look at the moon straight up you are looking at it through much less atmosphere. The closer it is to the horizon the greater amount of atmoshere. This atmosphere refracts the light as does a convex lens (it is in fact curved on the outside like a lens) and magnifies the image in the same way as a convex lens.

Answer 10

The Sun (or Moon) appear larger at the horizons because the light from either is entering (to your position) the atmosphere at a different angle. The Sun changes color because, as the light of it enters at a different angle, the atmosphere acts like a prism, changing it's color. and magnifying it's appearance.