IF you like optical illusions, you’ll be pleased to know that a natural illusion is seen in the sky most nights.
It’s called the Moon Illusion, and it has puzzled people since ancient times.
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The moon provides a natural optical illusion Credit: Getty
Sometimes the Moon appears very large in the early afternoon and appears to get smaller as it rises in the sky.
It has nothing to do with its distance from us, and when you see the Moon, it stays the same size all night.
It’s just your brain creating an optical illusion and tricking you into thinking it looks smaller.
It should be noted that the Moon approaches and recedes from Earth cyclically, but its size in the sky during one night does not physically change.
A video from AsapSCIENCE explains how the Moon is actually exactly the same size when it appears on the horizon as it is when it is high in the sky.
There are many theories as to why this is so, but the leading theory is that when the Moon is low on the horizon, it can be compared to many earthly things.
Objects like buildings and trees can make the Moon appear huge when it is lower in the sky.
However, the vast sky makes the Moon appear small because there is nothing to compare it to.
So when the Moon reaches its highest point, it appears smaller than when it started rising.
This is similar to an effect known as the Ebbinghaus illusion, which shows how objects of the same size can appear larger or smaller depending on their surroundings.
According to the Moon Illusion theory, if you lean over and look through your feet at the rising full Moon, it will not appear as big because the objects around it will no longer be perceived as familiar because you are upside down.
Does the moon change shape?
The moon does not change its shape and does not produce light, we see it thanks to the sunlight that is reflected on it.
NASA explains: “The shape of the Moon does not change during the month. However, our view of the Moon does.”
“The moon does not produce its own light. There is only one source of light in our solar system, and that is the Sun.
“Without the Sun, our Moon would be completely dark.
“What you may have heard called ‘moonlight’ is really just sunlight reflecting off the moon’s surface.”
The full moon is seen every 29.5 days.
Occasionally the Moon can appear larger than usual due to where it is in its orbit.
What is a Supermoon?
A supermoon is a combination of two different astronomical effects.
This is when the new or full Moon coincides with perigee, the closest point of the Moon to Earth in its monthly orbit.
A moon must be within 90% of its closest approach to Earth to be officially defined as a Supermoon.
This means that the Moon must be 224,865 miles from Earth and be a Full Moon.
Categories: Optical Illusion
Source: HIS Education