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From: leblanc@ucbvax.UUCP (Emile LeBlanc)
Newsgroups: net.astro
Subject: Re: moon on the horizon - question.
Message-ID: <225@ucbvax.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 29-Feb-84 23:46:29 EST
Article-I.D.: ucbvax.225
Posted: Wed Feb 29 23:46:29 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 3-Mar-84 07:08:24 EST
References: <1690@hplabsc.UUCP>, <694@ihuxq.UUCP>
Organization: U.C. Berkeley
Lines: 18

Why does the moon appear to be larger on the horizon than when it is overhead?

The answer I heard is that it is purely psychological (i.e. I agree with the
previous answers); and I was told a test that shows this is so (I think so).

Look at the moon between your legs (while standing up).  Then when it is on
the horizon, it will not look any bigger than usual.  Why?  The explanation
that I've heard is that the mind thinks of the sky as a dome with a very high
center, higher than it is wide.  So naturally when the moon is at the horizon
(a closer point, according to the mind) it looks bigger, since closer objects
are bigger.  When you look at the moon upside down, the dome effect leaves.  I
really don't know if this is a valid psycholgical explanation, but it's what
I've heard.


Emile LeBlanc
(ucbvax!leblanc)
(leblanc@berkeley)