Friday, November 03, 2006

Moon Illusion

Step outside any evening at sunset and look around. You'll see a giant moon rising in the east. It looks like Earth's moon, round and cratered; the Man in the Moon is in his usual place. But something's wrong. This full moon is strangely inflated. It's huge!You've just experienced the Moon Illusion.Sky watchers have known this for thousands of years: moons hanging low in the sky look unnaturally big. Cameras don't see it, but our eyes do. It's a real illusion.

Now for added fun, turn your back on the moon, bend down, look between your legs. The illusion is broken.

Summer Moon Illusion

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