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When the moon rises it's always enlarged, but then shrinks as it ascends.
What's that all about?[list]
The atmosphere acting as a 'magnifying glass' due to the angle of the view?
Or magic?
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These are small... but the ones out there are far away.
Same effect as when the sun rises and sets...
Low in the horizon, so the light is passing through more of the denser lower atmosphere
Perception, you have something to scale it against and you brain thinks ooh that's big but when it's in the sky you don't.
How good would riding on the moon be? A sixth of gravity and as much cheese as you could eat.
Well I thought it was down to the atmosphere, but apparently it's just an optical illusion.
[url= http://www.grand-illusions.com/opticalillusions/moon/ ]The Moon Illusion[/url]
I am not convinced though.
It's all perception...
If you don't believe that, get a camera and take two photographs, one when the moon in close to the horizon, and one when it is high in the sky, and then measure the size of the moon in each picture and compare.
Drac is right.
Its just that you have something to give it scale when its low against the horizon
Yep, perception based on its proximity to buildings etc. When its rises higher into the sky, with no direct reference points it [i]looks[/i] smaller
Your visual system is not a direct representation of what is out there. It compensates and alters the size when the moon has something to be contrasted against.
Simon Ralli, BA Hons (Psychology)
Got that wrong then...!
That clears that one up. Thanks!
Hold your hand out at arm's length and the moon is always the same size as your little fingernail.
Hold your hand out at arm's length and the moon is always the same size as your little fingernail.
Really? We all have the same size little finger then?
Really? We all have the same size little finger then?
No, but people with big fingernails tend to have longer arms.
Or maybe people with big fingernails look at the moon when it's near the horizon, and people with little fingernails wait until it's higher in the sky, cos they're only little.
the moon (and sun) look bigger when close to the horizon because of gravity - stands to reason, the extra gravity close to the earth's surface causes them to get a bit squashed but your eyes compensate for that, and see a sphere with the diameter of the largest squashy bit
the sea always looks higher than the coast if you look at it from a hill a couple of miles inland too.
Or maybe people with big fingernails look at the moon when it's near the horizon, and people with little fingernails wait until it's higher in the sky, cos they're only little.
😆
the moon (and sun) look bigger when close to the horizon because of gravity
I hope you are joking!
I hope you are joking!
I bloody am not !
I'm pretty sure the gravity also causes them to overheat, which may cause temporary swelling
I'm pretty sure the gravity also causes them to overheat, which may cause temporary swelling
Thats why the sun goes all red at the horizon then - cos its hot, then gets paler as it rises and cools down.
I keep meaning to go to the horizon to see if I'll get bigger too. Tried once, but it turns out its quite a bit further away than I'd expected.