could the moon ever get closer to earth where it would look really big like a giant ball in the sky?

Answer 1

yes..there are times that moon is closer to the earth depending on their motion and phases of the moon...but i think what you saw is a fullmoon...it looks bigger when your at the beach and it's like it came from the sea...it's kinda scary at first but it's a amazing to see such thing....it's makes you wonder...

Answer 2

If you have the patience to read it, here is an explanation of what is happening when you think the moon has increased in size.

Common misconceptions
It is a commonly held belief that the Moon appears larger near the horizon as a result of some kind of magnification effect caused by the Earth's atmosphere. This is not true, although the atmosphere does change the color of the Moon. Actually, the measured optical angle of the Moon's vertical diameter is smaller for the horizon moon than for the zenith moon, so when the rising moon is on the horizon it appears (both visually and in photographs) to be a bit squashed down (ovoid). This occurs because the atmosphere here acts like a weak prism (not a lens). This same real optical 'flattening' also occurs for the rising and setting sun. In addition, the angle the Moon subtends is about 1.5% smaller when it is near the horizon than when it is high in the sky, because it is farther away from the observer by almost one Earth radius.

The angle the moon subtends at an observer's eye is its angular size or visual angle, V degrees. It can be measured directly with a theodolite to show that it remains constant overnight.

It also can be calculated from the rule, V = tan S/D, where S is the linear size of the moon's diameter (2160 miles) and D is its distance from the eye (which averages about 238,000 miles). Thus, tan V = 0.009. So V = 0.52 degree, or 0.009 radian.


Proof of illusion
Besides actually measuring the moon's subtended 1/2 degree angle with a theodolite to prove that it remains constant overnight, another proof is that photographs of the moon at the horizon and higher up are exactly the same size (if taken with the same camera settings).

Another way of demonstrating that the effect is an illusion is to hold a small coin at arm's length with one eye closed, positioning it next to the seemingly large moon. When the Moon is higher in the sky positioning the same coin near the moon will reveal no change in size. Yet another way to see that the effect is an illusion is to view the Moon with one's head upside-down, say by bending over and looking through the legs, the moon on the horizon will appear smaller.

Answer 3

Well, it actually WAS closer in the past.
Millions of years ago, it was much closer and undoubtedly it looked much bigger -- but I wasn't around then and cannot tell you exactly what it looked like!

Right now, the moon is just under a quarter-million miles away (which is a little less than two light-seconds), and its apparent size in the sky just about matches that of the Sun. (Both are about 1/2 of a degree in diameter.) That is why we sometimes have total solar eclipses, where the Sun is exactly blocked by the moon for a few minutes. (I've seen two, and they were absolutely spectacular!)

When the moon was closer, and orbiting much faster than the month it takes now, the eclipses would have lasted longer and there would have been more of them than the two per year we have now.

As the moon gets farther away (a fraction of an inch per year), the orbital period will get longer (so that instead of 13 cycles per year, we will have fewer), tides will become weaker, and its disk will get smaller - so that eventually, there will be no total eclipses at all. That's what theory predicts, and If you stick around for another few million years you can watch and see if it comes true.

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Answer 4

No, the moon is moving father from Earth not closer. But when it was formed, it did look like a giant ball in the sky. TIdes were much stronger then too.

Answer 5

Yes, in the distant past it was much closer. Instead of ocean tides the gravity of the moon was such that the land had tides. This means ongoing earthquakes. Big ones. Not an ideal environment for young lovers. Or anyone else.

Answer 6

thats a great question...wed certainly see a lots extra suitable extreme tide. the earth might push the water returned up onto the shore. via fact the earths gravity is great the tides would desire to save on with the earth extra suitable than the moon and be slightly in the back of the moon which might gradual it down and eventually deliver it to a halt... which may well be undesirable. that would desire to be incorrect, i assume its additionally achievable that the earth rotating against the tides would desire to stress the oceans up onto the continents, which might additionally be very undesirable...

Answer 7

Actually.... The Moon -is- getting closer to the Earth by an inch or two every year. And yes, in a few million years it will appear roughly twice as large as it does today. And in about 15 billion years or so it will finally collide with the Earth. But, by then, the Sun will have gone into its 'red-giant' phase and both the Earth and the Moon (along with Mercury and Venus and possibly Mars) will be vaporized anyway.

Doug

Answer 8

it will not get any closer..... for now, i guess in thousand of years..... because things in the universe changes in time..... it has something to do with gravity and the forces in the universe.... i think that the earth's gravity is a little small to pull the moon closer.

Answer 9

No, if it got that close it would break up due to tidal stress.
Look up Roche Limit.

Answer 10

it doesnt rotate around the Earth evenly. it gets closer and far away every 24 hours.