why does the moon appear larger than the sun?

Answer 1

It's a lot closer!!

Answer 2

The Moon appears to be larger than the Sun because the Moon is much closer to Earth than the Sun is. In fact, the Moon is 372 times close to the Earth than the Sun is.

Answer 3

The moon and the sun cover roughly 1/2 degree in the sky. They're basically the same visual size. That changes just a bit because the moon moves in distance from the earth in it's orbit. In fact there's a kind of solar eclipse called an annular eclipse that happens when the moon is farthest away. The moon appears smaller than the sun and the sun looks like a ring of light.

Answer 4

The Sun happens to be 400 times the Moon's diameter, and 400 times as far away. That coincidence means the Sun and Moon appear to be the same size when viewed from Earth. A total solar eclipse, in which the Moon is between the Earth and Sun, blocks the bright light from the Sun's photosphere, allowing us to see the faint glow from the corona, the Sun's outer atmosphere.

Answer 5

The moon appears larger than the sun. Because,the moon is very close to the earth compare to the sun.

For an example, suppose your brother is just in front of you and your father is in some distances from you.Now, though your father is larger in height than your brother(as an assumption), your brother will appear larger than your father.

Answer 6

Hi. The Sun's diameter is 400 times the size of the Moon's diameter. The Sun is also 400 times farther away. The Moon is sometimes smaller (to us) than the Sun, hence an annular eclipse.

Answer 7

It appears the same size to me. The fact that the Moon just barely covers the Sun during a total solar eclipse is evidence of that.

Answer 8

The angle subtended by an object AB at a distance D is theeta = (AB) / D in radians

theeta 1 = (AB1) / D1 and theeta2 = (AB2)/D2

Sun's diameter is very very large as compared to moon's dia.(ABsun >>ABmoon)

Also Sun is far far away from Earth as compared to the moon
(Dsun >> Dmoon)

Seen from the Earth, theeta sun < theeta moon

Our eye senses the size by the angle the object subtends

Since the Sun subtends a smaller angle it appears to be smaller!

Answer 9

OK WOW that was a lot of "b/c it's closer" answers, so annoying. I'd side w/ those who say you can't look directley at the sun even if you do it's kinda hard to judge the shape b/c it kinda changes slightly.

You're lucky tho, I never notice the sun being that big... I want a huge as harvest moon that fills up a quarter of the night sky, that'd be cool.

Answer 10

honestly, the solar and finished moon look about an similar length contained in the sky as considered from Earth. The solar is about four hundred cases more effective than the moon, besides the undeniable fact that it also takes position to be about four hundred cases extra away (from Earth). both the solar and moon look to have an angular diameter of about one-0.5 of a level wide contained in the sky as considered from Earth. The solar and moon look more effective on the horizon because of an optical phantasm. Shawn: Sorry pal, you're incorrect. Astronomers hate listening to the "atmospheric lensing" fantasy. the ambience does not make the solar or moon look more effective. in truth, the ambience distorts the image and makes the solar/moon look somewhat SMALLER contained in the vertical axis. the authentic reason is largely an optical phantasm. coach your self on the Ponzo and Ebbinghaus illusions. Oh yeah, Shawn, i appreciate the area about blowing your instructor away by telling him that that is through atmospheric lensing. again, each and every good astronomer is familiar with that atmospheric lensing isn't the reason. that is extremely an optical phantasm.

Answer 11

we all know that the sun is a bigger object then the moon, still, the moon is a lot closer to the earth then the sun, so it seems larger (optical illusion):)