why does the moon look bigger when its low in the sky?

Answer 1

The actual answer is because it is going though more of the atmosphere causing the light to refract more than usual. Sometimes when it is red it looks really big, and that is because red light has a very long wave length and therefore can be bent even more.

Answer 2

The first answer is wrong. It's an optical illusion caused by how the brain works. The moon is no closer when it's low in the sky than it is later in the night when it is straight up above.


UPDATED RESPONSE:

Buzlite, you're wrong. A thicker atmosphere actually makes the moon look smaller, not bigger. The correct answer is that it is an illusion. Look it up.


UPDATE 2: You gotta love the clueless wonder that gave a thumbs down to an absolutely correct answer.

Answer 3

Contextual effects; reference cues in the field of vision.

When we judge the size of an object near the horizon our perception is influenced by familiar terrestrial objects in the field of view (trees, houses, roads). We know from everyday experience that many of the recognizable things we see in the distance are quite far away. But when our gaze is upwards, we have no reference cues for distance, and judge things near the zenith to be closer than those on the horizon. Ibn Alhazan proposed this explanation for the moon illusion around 1000 CE.

Answer 4

So, many people think it is either magnified or it is closer, both of which are false. In fact it is slightly flattened by refraction due to the denser atmosphere, which means on balance it appears slightly smaller over the horizon.

That it seems bigger is purely a trick of the brain, seeing it against distant familiar objects.

Answer 5

it is an optical illusion. beacuse it is low in the sky, you compare it to objects near it and it looks bigger. when it is high in the sky there is no comparisson and it looks small.

Answer 6

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2005/20jun_moonillusion.htm

Answer 7

its closer to you