2006-09-13 11:15:54 · 3 answers · asked by rush3000 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
It is an optical illusion caused by the fact that when it is near the horizon you can more easily compare it with things you can see (like trees and mountains). The reason it appears reddish is the same reason the sun often appears reddish: red light gets scattered less by the atmosphere; because there is more atmosphere for the light to travel through when the moon is so low in the sky, red light tends to have an advantage over the other colors.
2006-09-13 11:22:40 · answer #1 · answered by bruinfan 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The moon looks bigger on the horizon because its color is darker (reddish) than when it's up in the sky. It looks reddish because its light is shining through all the dust and haze near the earth's surface. Same thing for the sun. Hope this helps.
2006-09-13 11:29:07 · answer #2 · answered by Pete 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
because of the lense effect of the earth atmosphere
2006-09-13 11:23:44 · answer #3 · answered by fbianchi70 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋