Kewl!!
Posted on 06/18/2008 2:49:28 PM PDT by lainie
As the full moon rises this Wednesday evening, June 18, many people will be fooled into thinking it's unusually large.
The moon illusion, as it's known, is a trick in our minds that makes the moon seem bigger when it's near the horizon. The effect is most pronounced at full moon. Many people swear it's real, suggesting that perhaps Earth's atmosphere magnifies the moon.
But it really is all in our minds. The moon is not bigger at the horizon than when overhead.
The illusion will be particularly noticeable at this "solstice moon," coming just two days before summer starts in the Northern Hemisphere. The reason, according to NASA, lies in lunar mechanics: The sun and full moon are like kids on a see-saw; when one is high, the other is low. This week's high solstice sun gives us a low, horizon-hugging moon and a strong, long-lasting version of the illusion.
If it's any consolation, space station astronauts report the same effect.
Here's how it works: Your mind believes things on the horizon are farther away than things overhead, because you are used to seeing clouds just a few miles above, but the clouds on the horizon can indeed be hundreds of miles away. So if we think something (such as the moon) is farther away, and it's not, then it seems larger.
If you remain doubtful, test the idea yourself. Go out at moonrise with a small object, perhaps a pencil eraser. Hold it at arm's length as the moon rises and compare the sizes of the moon and the eraser, then repeat the experiment an hour or two later when the moon is high in the sky. A rolled up tube of paper works well, too.
Moonrise times vary by location. On Wednesday, it will come up at these local times at these locations, according to NASA: New York City, 8:58 p.m.; Miami, 8:35 p.m.; Seattle, 9:51 p.m.
The moon rises about 50 minutes earlier Tuesday night, when the effect will also be noticeable because the moon will be nearly full. Oh, and that raises another fallacy: There's no such thing as a full moon.
Additional moonrise times for your location are available from the U.S. Naval Observatory Web site.
Kewl!!
This view of a full moon was photographed by an Expedition 14 crewmember onboard the International Space Station. Earth's horizon and airglow is visible at left. Credit: NASA
HUGH !
What, Bill and Hillary! are on the same stage?
bump
That lainie is always posting the cool threads. Glad I stumbled on it.
While I have been enjoying a few days of cloudy and cool weather, I kind of hope it clears this evening so I can see this moon. I have a thing about the moon.
What, Bill and Hillary! are on the same stage?
No, that's a Huge Loon Illusion.
I saw this once but in the early morning on the way to school. The moon appeared huge, much larger than the mountain it was rising behind. I doubt it was all in my mind because about two hundred people, teachers and students, were just standing there staring at it. It lasted about 15 minutes and was one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen.
I doubtit was in your mind, too.... since it actually IS larger than any mountain! ;^)
When my kids were small, they used to ask me why the moon was ‘following us’ as we drove down the road.
Telling them it just looks like it’s following us because it’s very big and very far away just produced blank looks.
Yeah, sure Dad...
I have seen this effect many times in my years of travel. There has to be some sort of lensing effect because it seems 5 times larger.
...and series...
The moon appeared huge, much larger than the mountain it was rising behind...
...imagine what the Moon looked like millions of years ago when it was a mere 15,000 miles or so from earth...can you imagine the tidal effects?
You can test this by comparing your thumb held at arms length to the moon while it is close to the horizon and appears large.
Do it again when the moon is high in the sky and you will see that the moon’s size relative to your thumb doesn’t change.
Just your perspective.
Thanks for posting this. I’ll be looking for it. I have the most amazing view from my deck...no light pollution/air pollution. I bought a Barska telescope and viewing the Moon’s craters is just awesome.
ping
Kewl, indeed.
I was out lookin’ at the moon last night and believe it or don’t, I was seeing one and a half moons directly over one another.
I took off my glasses and the ‘second’ moon appeared smaller. Glasses back on and tipping my head to adjust the view through my progressive (not a gay thing) bifocals it changed shapes again.
I’ll try it again tonight without the benefit of Jim Beam. :)
Huge Moon,
You saw me standing a-lone......
Grrrrr.
/johnny
Interestingly, the illusion vanishes if you look at the moon upside down, such as looking backwards between your Sen. Craig wide stance.
The bowl shaped sky is a feeble explanation. The thing is, all objects at your eye level appear larger than an equally sized object the same distance directly above. This is true indoors and out. This can be proven by looking at an distant object at eye level, and then looking again with the above mentioned backward widestance. It will appear smaller.
I believe that our vision is equipped with a digital zoom for objects on the horizon, as these were of greater importance for survival than objects overhead. Game, mates and enemies are generally found at your eye level, and those who could see these more vividly had a survival and reproductive advantage.
I think I saw this phenomenon about 20 years ago while driving down a county road in rural Millbrook, new York. I will never forget how jaw-droppingly beautiful it was.
Hi Lainie! I read in Carl Sagan’s Cosmos book back when I was a kid that the Moon and the Sun appear exactly the same size in the sky. Although I try never to stare at the Sun (afraid of seeing hosts), it seems to be true.
That close?? Wow!
Interesting.
Shhhh.... or the democraps will want to nationalize “Big Moon”
Sure. That's what They want you to believe.
Two weeks from now it's going to be dark. Are They going to try to tell us it's all in our minds? Huh? Huh?
I thought not. There's a conspiracy here and I'm going to uncover it.
A local psychologist at the college used to say that if one looked at that moon upside down the size would change. He was responsible for generations of psych students looking at the moon with their heads between their legs.
Must have given him some satisfaction
Around wintertime, you can sometimes see a Moon that is hugh AND Sirius....
I have often wondered how it was that our planet came to be equipped with a moon that could produce such effects. This must be a rare case, certainly nowhere else in our solar system and probably unlikely for most "inhabitable" planets in the universe. For thousands of years humans were terrified when they saw the sun completely disappear, even if only for a few minutes. But probably most, like myself, lived their entire lives without experiencing that event.
We took this image just a couple of weeks ago from the backyard.
The crater on the middle right is Eratosthenes, the crater walls stand at about 11,000 feet, and it's diameter is about 35 miles..Dallas Texas would basically fit inside the walls.
Tonight at 10 Central, when the moon is at its largest, be sure to look out as I will be projecting True Grit onto its surface. I don’t know why I’m the first to think of doing this. I haven’t worked out how to get you all sound yet, but maybe I could stream it over the internet?
“I have often wondered how it was that our planet came to be equipped with a moon that could produce such effects.”
Me too. It would seem to me that the Sun needs to be the proper size, the moon needs to be the proper size, the distance from the earth to the Sun needs to be the proper distance, and the distance from the earth to the moon needs to be the proper distance. I’m not one for statistics and probabilities but that would seem to be pretty rare.
Bom ba ba bom ba bom ba bom bom
bom ba ba bom ba bom ba bom bom
Blue moon, moon, moon, moon, moon
Di, Di, Di, Di, Di, moon, moon, moon, blue moon
Di, Di, Di, Di,Di
Blue Moon, you saw me standing alone
Without a dream in my heart
Without a love of my own
Blue Moon, you knew just what I was there for
You heard me saying a prayer for
Someone I really could care for do wah wah wah
And then there suddenly appeared before me
The only one my arms will ever hold
I heard somebody whisper, “Please adore me”
And when I looked, the moon had turned to gold
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOhhhhhhhhhhh
Blue Moon, now I’m no longer alone
Without a dream in my heart
Without a love of my own
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAhhhhhhhhhh
I always wondered where the term “moonbat” came from! Now I know. Thanks.
Actually, given the distances between the sun and moon, the phenomena of an almost perfect total solar eclipse, is astronomically mind boggling.
It's worthwhile to try that test. Apparently, the author never has. That "moon illusion" is for real - - something is magnifying the moon, and my guess is that it's the atmosphere. Fact is, the moon is actually further away when it is on the horizon than when it is directly overhead and so, if anything, should appear slightly smaller. Try that experiment the author describes and see how much bigger the moon is when it comes up over the horizon.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7_JkPNWC5I&feature=related
Greg Lake singing “Watching over You” (I like the live version better but can’t find it).
I ended my eulogy for my sister with the lyrics from this song.
Good Night, Good Night
Look At That Moon Shine So Bright
And Tonight, He Smiles
Especially, For You
Sleep Tight, Sleep Tight
‘Cause You Know, Everything Is Alright
For Tonight, I Will Be Here
Watching Over You
For Tonight, I Will Be Here
Watching Over You
Tonight I’ll Be Here
Watching Over You
Sweet Dreams, Sweet Dreams
It Is Never, As Real As It Seems
And In The Morning When You Wake Up
I Will Be Right Here
Sleep On, Sleep On
For No Matter, How Dark Or How Long
It May Seem, That Your Night Is
I Will Still Be Here
I Will Still Be Here Watching
Watching Over You
Tonight I’ll Be Here (Watching Over)
Tonight I’ll Be Here (Watching Over)
Tonight I’ll Be Here
Watching Over You
But it’s not. You can measure it with a micrometer and you’ll see. Your brain is tricking you into thinking it’s bigger as it comes up over the horizon. Doesn’t seem possible, but it’s true. Our brains orient us in just such a way.
To me it’s most interesting how we all share the same ‘psychosis’ courtesy of our Luna. :)
Yes it is. You are forgetting one very important thing - - the micrometer is ALSO larger when you hold it up to the horizon.
Ha!
huh?
pretty :) Your clouds make it ghostly. We watched it rise over the Mohave Desert.
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