Is the apparent size of the moon actually larger as it gets closer to the horizon?

Answer 1

The apparent size is larger, but the real size is not. You can check by covering the moon with a coin at different times.

Answer 2

BJP is absolutely right. The real mystery is what happens at midday, when the moon is underground exactly under your feet. Studies have shown that at this position (called the isochronic position) the moon actually flips upside down momentarily and the Klangers can be contacted directly. The isochronic position only lasts a few minutes currently but research groups in Alaska are working on stopping the moon at this point using a machine known as a Lunar Immobility Enhancer (or LIE) which reverses the moons parity at he isochronic position such that forward motion is impossible. Essentially, the moon would be trapped in an infinite potential well. The hope is that, once the team in Japan have perfected the energy/matter teleporter (they have now managed to teleport a rabbit 10metres - but it turned into a hare on arrival. Work is in progress) the Klangers will be able to talk to us AND visit us, and vice verca. This is exciting because the soup dragon has, on occasion, offered to give us free soup to solve our food-shortage problems. Of course, the next issue will be an ethical one: How will the starving people around the world be able to warm up their soup without the use of the microwave oven.

Luckily, this problem has also been solved by the Japanese research team. They predict that the soup dragon may be able to replicate himself via the three-way splitting of the energy/matter teleporter and, consequently, be able to produce soup for us here AND the Klangers on the moon.

Unfortunately, President Bush has heard about this plan and, knowing that soup is scarce and that control of soup means control of the global economy, he is planning to go to war with the moon. Terrorist Klangers from the moon have already started the long journey from the horizon (the only crossing-point on the moons orbit) to the White House to try to assassinate the President but these plans were leaked by Alice on her return from wonderland. Yes, Alice said that the oompa lumpas were disrupted when the Klangers broke into the oompa lumpas' capital city and stole all their Weapons of Mass Destruction.

Interestingly, the Oompa Lumpas were also planning on assassinating the President, but for a totally different reason I can't go into here.

Answer 3

I assume you mean a Full Moon,

Yes, (apparently) but Why???

Obviously the Moon neither changes size nor comes closer, I was given this explaination for the odditty:

When the moon rises over our Horison, we are receiving as many reflections (of sun light) as possible. Because the sun is behind us and the moon is relatively "infront" of us, we receive more reflected light.

Now here's the point, light expands! So when you have a direct hit and visual "relflection, the reflected light makes the Actual image bigger.

But as the Moon rises in the sky it seems to decrease in size.

Actually, 2 things are happening,

1. Less light from the moon is being reflected towards where you are.Therefoe making it look smaller.

2. You've been up all night drinking and are now thinking "Geez the moon was much bigger before"

Answer 4

A difficult question to answer. There are essentially two moons. The real moon we assume, is a real object with a real size. The 'apparent moon' is what your consciousness creates inside your body of the perceived moon. The crux of the matter is that one is only ever aware of 'apparent moon' and not the real moon. We believe there to be a real moon out there. But alas, we cannot escape our bodies or consciousness, both of which are variable and we choose to believe the real moon to have a relatively real and static size. That apparent moon is our consciousness and if you like what really only see.

Answer 5

Incredibly enough, all the previous answerers are wrong about the reason even if they have the correct answer. The answer, first of all, is yes.
Here's the reason. The moon's light, when lower to the horizon, passes through a thicker layer of atmosphere than when it is high in the sky (the same effect can be seen with the sun). Because of this, two things happen. It appears redder due to the preferable absorption of red wavelengths (like the sun), and the refraction of this thicker atmosphere produces a magnifying effect.

Answer 6

It's all in your head; it is just an optical illusion...
The size of the moon is a constant it only appears larger because you have an object to compare it to like a tree or building...

Answer 7

As the moon gets closer to the horizon, and thus closer to the ground on the Earth, it absorbs moisture from the Earth's atmosphere and slightly expands in size. As the moon moves away from the earth, the dry solar wind removes its excess moisture and it regains its normal size.

Answer 8

absurdly not, there is no change in the moons celestial size

Answer 9

yes

Answer 10

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moon_illusion