One of the greatest mysteries of our brain that cannot be fully explained.

Why does our brain perceive the moon to be much larger when it is at the horizon, then it does when at zenith of the sky, which in fact the moon is always the same size in the sky?

Science tries to explain it but they don't have a definitive answer, but basically it is an illusion that are brains see.




The object at left (like the moon at the horizon) isn't actually bigger — but our brains perceive it as bigger anyway.

http://gizmodo.com/5954460/...an-it-does-on-others

The moon looks HUGE some nights, right? Well, yes, sort of, to you—but only because your tiny human brain contextualizes it as larger sometimes than others. It's never actually any closer. It's just a confluence of a few different optical illusions screwing with your head.

So here's what happens. First, the moon seems larger, usually, when it's near the horizon. One reason for the is that there are more reference points, like trees and buildings, to compare to the moon. When it's just sitting alone, high in the night sky, the moon just looks "regular" sized. It's the Ebbinghaus effect—you look taller standing next to a child than you would standing next to Shaq. The other thing is that our brains are used to things on the horizon shrinking, since that typically means they're farther away. So when the moon doesn't shrink as it crosses the horizon, years of understanding perspective kicks in and tells us the moon got humongous. So there you go. Your brain is dumb, and the moon is just the moon.

That's Cosmo's moon--is he down there?

[This message has been edited by maryjane (edited 05-14-2015).]

The moon is not always the same size in the sky.


The optical illusions do play into it but the actual size of the moon in the sky varies with it's distance from the earth.

quote Originally posted by Formula88: The moon is not always the same size in the sky. The optical illusions do play into it but the actual size of the moon in the sky varies with it's distance from the earth.

I was going to say something like that, but not with pictures and circles and arrows, nice job there Arlo !

It only happens a few times a year at most to the point that the average person will notice it. Something to do with the Moons natural orbit around the earth.

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For some reason I thought it had something to do with the same effect of like when you see heat coming off a hot object or a fire, its kind of like a wavy glass shower door magnifying glass.
Or I'm nuts. Could be that too.

quote Originally posted by 2.5: For some reason I thought it had something to do with the same effect of like when you see heat coming off a hot object or a fire, its kind of like a wavy glass shower door magnifying glass. Or I'm nuts. Could be that too.

Or it could be both

Steve

I dont disagree

Sooo...if it's about reference points and what not...why is it usually still small just before it goes down to my eye? Might be a bit biggger, but it's not huge by any means. Only occasionally, in the summer/fall does it appear appreciably bigger.

I agree with the idea that it's being magnified (bending light) when it's on the horizon. The atmosphere curves around the earth, so it would be like looking through the side of a lense. That, at least makes sense. Especially when you throw in atmospheric conditions making changes to it, like the weather in the late summer/early fall.

The sun looks larger on the horizon too.

quote Originally posted by maryjane: That's Cosmo's moon--is he down there?

"SNAP OUT OF IT!" >smack<

another site with a little interactive thingy

http://science.howstuffworks.com/question491.htm