sms@mh3bs.UUCP (10/21/83)
Why does the moon appear so much larger near the horizen then at peak? Stephe (things look better under the light of moonshine) M.
walsh@ihuxi.UUCP (10/21/83)
Because of the reference to the horizon. If you turn upside down and look through your legs (if the moon is low enough) the moon will appear normal.
kwmc@hou5d.UUCP (10/21/83)
The reason the moon appears so much larger near the horizon is an optical illusion. When the moon is on the horizon you are comparing it with objects ~10 miles away. When the moon is high, you are not comparing it with anything, or with close objects such as a tree you may be standing beside. Ken Cochran hou5d!kwmc
dxp@pyuxhh.UUCP (D Peak) (10/21/83)
Do you mean that you have to "moon" the moon for the moon to appear normal
or is it that if you bend over and look at the moon between your legs that
you personally are not normal.It's all relative you know !!
Dave Peakdecot@cwruecmp.UUCP (Dave Decot) (10/24/83)
The moon actually DOES appear larger near the horizon than it does when it is directly above you, although the optical illusion plays the largest part in the perceived image. Since there is more air between you and the moon when it is at the horizon, it looks even bigger. ---------------------------------------- Dave Decot ..!decvax!cwruecmp!decot
tag@tty3b.UUCP (10/24/83)
This reminds me of an optical illusion I observed several times. First let me draw you a map of the actual area in Des Plaines, Illinois: | | | |<- Tollway |<- 747 | | /| |\ <- Bridge /|\ | +----------| |------------------------------------------- / | \ | | | <- (CAR) ^ O'Hare | +----------| |------------------------------------------- Intrn'l | | \| |/ Wolf Road Airport | |<- Touhy | | | | Ave. | | North -> Driving south on Wolf Road, I could often see a 747, DC-10, etc. parked at a hangar at O'Hare. From far down the road, it appeared ENORMOUS, (as viewed under the Tollway bridge). As I approached the bridge, however, the relative (apparent) size of the 747 shrank, due, I suppose, to the increase in the relative (apparent) size of the opening under the bridge. Tom Gloger Teletype Corporation ihnp4!tty3b!tag
debray@sbcs.UUCP (Saumya Debray) (10/27/83)
It's due to the fact that rays of light from the moon are refracted through a larger angle when the rays are incident obliquely (when the moon is near the horizon) than when the rays are incident normally (when the moon is overhead) on the earth's atmosphere.
leimkuhl@uiuccsb.UUCP (10/27/83)
#R:mh3bs:-34500:uiuccsb:9900019:000:222 uiuccsb!leimkuhl Oct 26 11:28:00 1983 There was a very good article in the Scientific American a few years ago on just this phenomena. Anybody who really cares can look that up. (I don't remember the conclusion.) Ben Leimkuhler (uiucdcs!uiuccsb!leimkuhl)
sysred@psuvax.UUCP (10/29/83)
To all who claim the moon REALLY is bigger on the horizon
('cause of refraction, or whatever):
WRONGO!!
Take a multiple exposure shot of the moon rising. Measure
the ACTUAL size of the images on the film, They'll all
be identical. It's strictly an optical delusion(sic).
Ref. Scientific American (someone else already mentioned
the article, but I think it was more like 10 years ago).
--
Ralph Droms
Computer Science Department
The Pennsylvania State Universitywalsh@ihuxi.UUCP (B. Walsh) (10/31/83)
I'd like to know where Saumya got that information. If that's true, then
why do time lapse photos of the moon rising from horizon to zenith show
the moon as the same size in each photo?? As many have explained, the REAL
reason the moon appears larger on the horizon is because of an optical
illusion!!!!
'nuff said!!!