Mark your calendar, because you don't want to miss a chance to see the moon showing off its glory! NASA ScienceCasts tell us why. You might want to get your camera ready, too. Now, this says that scientists don't fully understand why the moon looks so much bigger when it's near the horizon. I know a couple of scientists who will explain it to you.
The drama played out at the webcomic Sci-?nce.
First it was like this.
Then it was updated like this. There's an even more detailed explanation here.
The story of how it all happened was summed up at Bad Astronomy. Link
The drama played out at the webcomic Sci-?nce.
First it was like this.
Then it was updated like this. There's an even more detailed explanation here.
The story of how it all happened was summed up at Bad Astronomy. Link
When the moon is close to the horizont, light from the moon passes trough a larger portion of atmosphere, acting as a magnifying glass.
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@nomen - Which has exactly what to do with it appearing larger when it's near the horizon?
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It is not an illusion. The moon is realy closer because it doesn't circle the earth but elipses round the earth. So in some months the moon is closer to the earth.
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Ha! If I looked at anything with my head between my legs, the only thing I would think is "how am I gonna get back up again?"
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When the moon is near the horizon, look at with your head between your legs and it will look as small as ever.
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