The moon illusion

[Serpo]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXkYjL_7jMEhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXkYjL_7jME

[ximmy]

I think about that sometimes, and the idea that it is bigger because you are seeing the earth close to it doesn't cut it for me. I've heard that before.
It goes to show that we (humans) really don't know as much as we think.

[Glass]

as Ted Bullpit used to say, "someone should blow the moon up"

[Silver Rocket Bitches!]

I vote Ebbinhaus illusion.

[Horn]

What's with the bias towards the moon and away from the Sun?

Are you not supposed to look at it?

[Cebu_4_2]

If it's ann illusion why can you take pictures to prove it is in fact larger?

[Santa]

The moon seems larger when it's viewed through clouds as well.
I think it's moisture in the atmosphere causing the edge to blur. Much like a street light on a foggy night.
As the moon rises higher overhead, the light has less atmosphere to shine through, it's edges sharpen and thus it seems smaller.

[gunDriller]

i thought the moon appears larger in some positions because of refraction of light from the moon by the atmosphere.

i.e. the atmosphere basically acts as a magnifying glass, sometimes more sometimes less, depending on physics.

also related to the moon's distance.