Moon?

[kristina3313]

OK, so I had this question bugging me for a while... why on one evening Moon appeared so massive and very close to Earth and then the following evening was back high up, then the next evening low, then high up, there was no change in weather, all preceding days were sunny.

 

[Mee_n_Mac]

OK, so I had this question bugging me for a while... why on one evening Moon appeared so massive and very close to Earth and then the following evening was back high up, then the next evening low, then high up, there was no change in weather, all preceding days were sunny.

I'm not sure I properly understand your question. When you say "close" do you mean low in the sky, near the horizon ? Assuming that's the case then the Moon rises and sets just like the Sun due to the rotation of the Earth on it's axis. So looking at it at different times of the day or night will result in it being in different places. Also the Moon orbits the Earth and so it also varies by the month.

Watch the animation here ...

http://www.fearofphysics.com/SunMoon/sunmoon1.html


Lastly the Moon looks larger when closer to the horizon. It's an optical illusion. Read these ...

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

http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/s ... 00105.html

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/rea ... he-horizon

 

[kristina3313]

Yes, it was very near horizon and it was huge that night, it looked like a Sunset.

From your references above it looks like it was a Moon illusion, thank you.

Good thing I didn't try to take a picture of it... :lol:

 

[origin]

Yes, it was very near horizon and it was huge that night, it looked like a Sunset.

From your references above it looks like it was a Moon illusion, thank you.

Good thing I didn't try to take a picture of it... :lol:

The moon looks huge when it is near the horizon and later in the night when it is high in the sky it looks 'normal size'. This however is just and optical illusion. The size of the moon has not changed at all. The moon looks huge because there is something to compare it to (the horizon).

There is a little trick to do that will cause the moon to look normal sized even at the horizon. Face away from the moon and bend over and look through your legs at the moon and it will magically look normal size, when you straighten up and look at it straight on it will look huge again.

A word of warning do not do this if your neighbors are watching or they might think you are a little off. I know this sounds like a joke but it isn't.

 

[kristina3313]

Haha, I have to try that one. One of the articles also suggest placing something small at arms length and illusion then disappears as well.

I have another question, what causes this change, illusion is there one night and gone the other?

 

[MeteorWayne]

It all has to do with how far above the horizon the moon is when you look. An hour (15 degrees) later it will look more normal sized. It looks largest right when it's sitting on the horizon.