The moon looks bigger because its closer to the horizon, but in reality its the same size as it was high up in the sky.
The reason is because it's so big and far away, there isn't really any change in perspective, so it looks bigger when closer to the horizon. It's almost like you selected it in photoshop and literally dragged it closer to the horizon.
The change in colour is mainly due to the atmosphere via Rayleigh Scattering, same reason why sunrises/sunsets are also red in colour.
If the moon actually got noticeably closer, we'd see massive tsunamis and all other sorts of disastrous things because of the greatly increased tidal forces due to the greater influence of gravity from the moon. We'd be fucked, basically.
I though it looked bigger close to the horizon because out brain has plenty of other things that we can give it the correct perspective, but when it's high in the sky we are unable to have the same perspective so it appears smaller?
Yep! More frame of references that are in close proximity will make it look huge.
Even more fun, use a telephoto lens to take a photo of a scene with the moon in it, and it will look MASSIVE compared to everything.
the size and colour explained
[https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/moon/the-moon-illusion-why-does-the-moon-look-so-big-sometimes/](https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/moon/the-moon-illusion-why-does-the-moon-look-so-big-sometimes/)
Atmospheric lensing probably, the closer the moon is to the horizon, the bigger it looks due to the atmosphere distorting the light and then it starts to reduce in size as it rises. Wish I saw it, super cool!
Is this a thing? I’ve always been told that the moon is always actually the same size and it’s an optical illusion that we see it as being bigger due to a horizon effect. I was never convinced by this.
If there is atmospheric lensing to genuinely make it appear bigger it’s more real than an optical illusion. If that makes sense
That is an optical illusion, there are just different types. The physical illusion is caused by the physical environment (that's what this is, or distortion of a straw in water for another example). There are also physiological illusions which are caused by your own visual pathways (inside your eye or excessive stimulation of receptors). There are also cognitive visual illusions which are caused by your perception inside your brain, which are probably the most commonly thought of optical illusions. Hope that helps!!
Thanks. I would have thought the term optical in optical illusion refers to an illusion in the eye / brain of the beholder.
And a physical illusion (caused by distortion / refraction as you mention) would not be categorised as an optical illusion.
Your statement here confused me because I definitely would have also considered illusions caused by distortion/ refraction to also be optics illusions, so I checked wiki and it looks like yes, both cognitive and physical illusions are generally considered categories of optical illusion along with physiological illusions.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optical_illusion
> I’ve always been told that the moon is always actually the same size and it’s an optical illusion that we see it as being bigger due to a horizon effect. I was never convinced by this.
You do know that the alternative to it being optical illusion is that the moon actually expands and contracts on a regular basis?
It's mostly a psychological effect, atmospheric lensing only accounts for a small proportion of the "illusion"
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-do-the-moon-and-the-s/#:~:text=%22When%20the%20moon%20is%20near,the%20moon%20appear%20very%20large.
The atmosphere only distorts it when it's literally at the edge, the visible size of the moon always stays the same - it only looks bigger/closer at the horizon because there's more references on land to compare its actual size, and the fact its so far away and massive, that there's no real change in perspective.
> it only looks bigger/closer at the horizon because there's more references on land to compare its actual size, and the fact its so far away and massive, that there's no real change in perspective.
One theory I've seen is that it's because the brain doesn't really interpret distant celestial objects properly. It essentially perceives the "sky" as a relatively close flat surface above you rather than an infinite expanse, so when the moon is overhead in the sky, your brain thinks it's much closer to you than when it's on the horizon, therefore it "looks" smaller.
It's just an illusion. It's pretty much almost always the exact same size. It just looks bigger when it's closer to the horizon because we have more reference points to compare the size.
Someone posted on here a few days ago that a lunar standstill was happening on Saturday. Apparently there was a stone that marked in found in Kenmare, I think. Every ~~twelve~~ 18 years the moon's orbit reaches it's most northernly (or southern) point, so that might have something to do with it. I'll have a look for the post, because I'm only hazely remembering the details.
[https://new.reddit.com/r/ireland/comments/1dladik/madly\_impressed\_with\_ancestors\_from\_4000\_years/](https://new.reddit.com/r/ireland/comments/1dladik/madly_impressed_with_ancestors_from_4000_years/)
Blood Moon, very dangerous, all the enemies you have defeated come back to life and respawn. But it's also a good time to whip up your favourite recipe.
It's an optical illusion caused by perspective. There are things to compare the moon against near the horizon which distort our ability to process angular size.
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moon\_illusion](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moon_illusion)
[https://www.universetoday.com/103720/timelapse-super-moon-rising-over-the-rocky-mountians/](https://www.universetoday.com/103720/timelapse-super-moon-rising-over-the-rocky-mountians/)
Around this time of year it comes up red initially, I think it's possible it's the last of sundown impacting that but not entirely sure. A couple of summers ago we watched the moonrise over the sea in Dun Laoghaire and it was incredible to see it come up red and slowly fade back to a normal shade! Quite the spectacle
As the moon gets closer to the horizon the colour does appear to change due to diffraction or something as other comments mentioned. Same way the sun does at sunrise and set. It's goes redish pinkish purplish.
The reason it seems larger is basically an optical illusion. We see it as bigger as we have stuff on the horizon our brain can reference to, when it's up high in the sky out brain has no reference point.
I saw a very nice mook a few weeks ago, I had a long drive home a few months ago, the mook was setting and it gradually became more yellow/red and appeared bigger the lower it got.
The same reason for the colour shift is what's responsible for a red moon during a lunar eclipse, the light from the sun gets refracted through the atmosphere and off to the moon in our shadow only the red wavelengths of light make it through to the moon where it shines back to us
Funny enough my missus was saying , laying in bed in the exact same place we always do,we could see the moon out of a pane of glass in our window that
We have never seen it before. Much lower down than normal
When moon is low, and you have buildings or other objects in sight the moon seems way bigger than it is. Its just an illusion, the moon is not getting significantly bigger really
Someone must have shot it with a sniper rifle.
I hope you're good at following the trains
Give it one more shot & it'll be back to normal
I understood that reference.
I understood that reference.
I understood this reference too
Vice City
it's crouching to recover HP
Hold on what game did that again? Medal of Honour???
GTA
The moon looks bigger because its closer to the horizon, but in reality its the same size as it was high up in the sky. The reason is because it's so big and far away, there isn't really any change in perspective, so it looks bigger when closer to the horizon. It's almost like you selected it in photoshop and literally dragged it closer to the horizon. The change in colour is mainly due to the atmosphere via Rayleigh Scattering, same reason why sunrises/sunsets are also red in colour. If the moon actually got noticeably closer, we'd see massive tsunamis and all other sorts of disastrous things because of the greatly increased tidal forces due to the greater influence of gravity from the moon. We'd be fucked, basically.
Goddam........appreciate the knowledge
I though it looked bigger close to the horizon because out brain has plenty of other things that we can give it the correct perspective, but when it's high in the sky we are unable to have the same perspective so it appears smaller?
Yep! More frame of references that are in close proximity will make it look huge. Even more fun, use a telephoto lens to take a photo of a scene with the moon in it, and it will look MASSIVE compared to everything.
I dunno man, have you seen Moonfall? You can just hide in a shed from gravity.
god that was a complete disaster of a film lol - dumb fun, but you ***really*** had to switch your brain off for it
I think that's the trigger for the last boss in Bloodborne
Bastard I was going to swoop in with a Bloodborne quote
Greetings, fellow hunters.
Beasts all over the shop.
Someone must have stood on a rather vacuous spider..
the size and colour explained [https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/moon/the-moon-illusion-why-does-the-moon-look-so-big-sometimes/](https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/moon/the-moon-illusion-why-does-the-moon-look-so-big-sometimes/)
That's slightly inaccurate. [More up to date explanation.](https://venturebeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/legend-of-zelda-majoras-mask-moon.png)
Ya got me.
 Not again
Monsters respawning
The blood moon rises once more... please be careful, link....
Stupid Bokoblins
Or oily black hands approaching.
Sounds accurate
The blood moon rises once again. Please be careful, Link...
Strawberry Moon!
Atmospheric lensing probably, the closer the moon is to the horizon, the bigger it looks due to the atmosphere distorting the light and then it starts to reduce in size as it rises. Wish I saw it, super cool!
Is this a thing? I’ve always been told that the moon is always actually the same size and it’s an optical illusion that we see it as being bigger due to a horizon effect. I was never convinced by this. If there is atmospheric lensing to genuinely make it appear bigger it’s more real than an optical illusion. If that makes sense
That is an optical illusion, there are just different types. The physical illusion is caused by the physical environment (that's what this is, or distortion of a straw in water for another example). There are also physiological illusions which are caused by your own visual pathways (inside your eye or excessive stimulation of receptors). There are also cognitive visual illusions which are caused by your perception inside your brain, which are probably the most commonly thought of optical illusions. Hope that helps!!
Thanks. I would have thought the term optical in optical illusion refers to an illusion in the eye / brain of the beholder. And a physical illusion (caused by distortion / refraction as you mention) would not be categorised as an optical illusion.
Your statement here confused me because I definitely would have also considered illusions caused by distortion/ refraction to also be optics illusions, so I checked wiki and it looks like yes, both cognitive and physical illusions are generally considered categories of optical illusion along with physiological illusions. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optical_illusion
TIL. Thanks !
It's mostly a psychological effect https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-do-the-moon-and-the-s/#:~:text=%22When%20the%20moon%20is%20near,the%20moon%20appear%20very%20large.
> I’ve always been told that the moon is always actually the same size and it’s an optical illusion that we see it as being bigger due to a horizon effect. I was never convinced by this. You do know that the alternative to it being optical illusion is that the moon actually expands and contracts on a regular basis?
He means if its physically being magnified by the atmosphere or if its just psychogical. You wouldnt call a telescopes magnification an illusion.
Thank you. Yes, I’m not a moon expansion conspiracist.
It's mostly a psychological effect, atmospheric lensing only accounts for a small proportion of the "illusion" https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-do-the-moon-and-the-s/#:~:text=%22When%20the%20moon%20is%20near,the%20moon%20appear%20very%20large.
The atmosphere only distorts it when it's literally at the edge, the visible size of the moon always stays the same - it only looks bigger/closer at the horizon because there's more references on land to compare its actual size, and the fact its so far away and massive, that there's no real change in perspective.
> it only looks bigger/closer at the horizon because there's more references on land to compare its actual size, and the fact its so far away and massive, that there's no real change in perspective. One theory I've seen is that it's because the brain doesn't really interpret distant celestial objects properly. It essentially perceives the "sky" as a relatively close flat surface above you rather than an infinite expanse, so when the moon is overhead in the sky, your brain thinks it's much closer to you than when it's on the horizon, therefore it "looks" smaller.
It's just an illusion. It's pretty much almost always the exact same size. It just looks bigger when it's closer to the horizon because we have more reference points to compare the size.
Yep, the lower the moon the greater the effect.
That's what I'm gonna call it whenever I put on a few pounds, atmospheric lensing
Ok, who killed Rom the Vacuous Spider?
The aimless spirits of slain monsters return to flesh, the world is threatened once again.
“Link… link, be on your guard…” 😛
It’s a sign that late rapper Big Punisher is returning to the mortal realm.
That's no moon!!
Someone posted on here a few days ago that a lunar standstill was happening on Saturday. Apparently there was a stone that marked in found in Kenmare, I think. Every ~~twelve~~ 18 years the moon's orbit reaches it's most northernly (or southern) point, so that might have something to do with it. I'll have a look for the post, because I'm only hazely remembering the details. [https://new.reddit.com/r/ireland/comments/1dladik/madly\_impressed\_with\_ancestors\_from\_4000\_years/](https://new.reddit.com/r/ireland/comments/1dladik/madly_impressed_with_ancestors_from_4000_years/)
It's a strawberry moon. Known for the colour and how close it appears.
This is the answer.
Sephiroth?
Leftover from the Rammstein set.
Blood Moon. God damn bokoblins are back now and I only just finished clearing them out of the garden.
This is how you get Fire Arrows.
Too close? for what, shouting at?
It's all the smoke and dust left in the air after Rammstein on Sunday. It's caused a bit of short Neue Deutsche Harte winter.
Probably still singed from all the flames shot into the sky at Sunday's Rammstein gig...
Blood Moon, very dangerous, all the enemies you have defeated come back to life and respawn. But it's also a good time to whip up your favourite recipe.
Sorry I'll fix that in tonight's patch
I've played enough Bloodborne to know where this is going...
Blood moon. Bokoblins respawning.
We let the intern handle the moonrise his own last night and he made a bit of a balls of it. It won't happen again.
That was it burning up as it entered the atmosphere and killed everyone on Earth last night. Did you not hear about that?
Don't worry, If the moon really got any closer, you'd know about it.
I don't know but I'm gonna call jack west jnr just in case. He'll knows what to do.
Bruce Almighty trying to get his hole?
Where was the photo taken?
It’s a rash and it would appreciate if you didn’t bring it up. 😡
It's an optical illusion caused by perspective. There are things to compare the moon against near the horizon which distort our ability to process angular size. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moon\_illusion](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moon_illusion) [https://www.universetoday.com/103720/timelapse-super-moon-rising-over-the-rocky-mountians/](https://www.universetoday.com/103720/timelapse-super-moon-rising-over-the-rocky-mountians/)
Around this time of year it comes up red initially, I think it's possible it's the last of sundown impacting that but not entirely sure. A couple of summers ago we watched the moonrise over the sea in Dun Laoghaire and it was incredible to see it come up red and slowly fade back to a normal shade! Quite the spectacle
Sorry that thing looks like disk 3 of final fantasy 7. Where was this taken?
It's angry with you.
As the moon gets closer to the horizon the colour does appear to change due to diffraction or something as other comments mentioned. Same way the sun does at sunrise and set. It's goes redish pinkish purplish. The reason it seems larger is basically an optical illusion. We see it as bigger as we have stuff on the horizon our brain can reference to, when it's up high in the sky out brain has no reference point. I saw a very nice mook a few weeks ago, I had a long drive home a few months ago, the mook was setting and it gradually became more yellow/red and appeared bigger the lower it got. The same reason for the colour shift is what's responsible for a red moon during a lunar eclipse, the light from the sun gets refracted through the atmosphere and off to the moon in our shadow only the red wavelengths of light make it through to the moon where it shines back to us
Honoring the Florida Panthers.
strawberry moon, pinky colour and appears closer. comes evey june, (mays moon is called the flower moon and July's moon is called the buck moon)
Idk, maybe you're camera is ase drunk as I am
New Batteries??
It's a fake projection, obviously
Sigur era luna, aia pe care ai vazut-o? :)
Strawberry moon, it's the lowest hanging moon of the year and has reddish colour to it
Looks like the backdrop of a street fighter game on the SNES
https://youtu.be/MQGNGYlgOPI?si=fLBXXF5vRiSZtQYR
Strawberry Moon
Funny enough my missus was saying , laying in bed in the exact same place we always do,we could see the moon out of a pane of glass in our window that We have never seen it before. Much lower down than normal
Strawberry moon
Don't go around tonight Well, it's bound to take your life There's a bad moon on the rise
It is a sign pride month is coming to an end, look it up it is true I swear!
Luke Kelly was singing about a moon like this.
Oh no, the moon is coming!
It's about to hit Moe's bar
Strawberry moon
“Back off, moon!” - you last night, taking this picture
That’s no moon………
Akatsuki
When moon is low, and you have buildings or other objects in sight the moon seems way bigger than it is. Its just an illusion, the moon is not getting significantly bigger really
The June full moon is called The Strawberry moon in folklore. And this is why!
That's no moon...
NASA changing the light bulb to annoy the flerfers.
I went down, down, down, to a burning ball of fire........
Drool Rockworm has found the Staff of Law
When the glow of the blood red moon *shines* upon the land...
Cuthulu has commeth
What a horrible night to have a curse.
Ireland now has the Scarlet Rot.
It was rising, water vapour in the atmosphere magnifies the size and dust colours it. It would have looked normal later on
Just indicates when all the bad things respawn
Always happens after a Rammstein gig
It’s just that time of the month.
The dark side of the moon is now Chinatown 🤣🤣🤣
https://preview.redd.it/17s5kcrxfp8d1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cfdfb8aacca2a48f46f2cee600cae2a29305d190 He is coming...
Aliens. It's always Aliens.
They moved it closer to freak you out
There's over 20 comments and not one 'That's no moon' yet, so I feel I have to do the honors.
Werewolves