Why Does the Moon Look Like Different Sizes to Our Eyes?

It is responsible for the tides of our world and plays a major role in the continuity of life. Moonhas attracted and continues to attract the attention of everyone who is interested in astronomy from past to present. fast moving Technological developments Thanks to this, the projects aiming to reach its surface again today are very close to yielding results.

However, the subject we will focus on in this content is not how we set foot on the surface of the Moon again, but how we are already out of our world. as it appears in deceptive ways will be relevant. In this context, it would be wrong to say that the Moon takes different shapes. Because it does not lose anything from its size or speed. For this reason, some your illusions is thought to have arisen. Now let’s look at them together.

Let’s touch on a few illusions we are used to seeing on social media: First, the Ponzo illusion

Looking at the horizon views in the world of cinema and in normal life Moonappears larger than at the top. In this first of all your perspective thought to play a role. For example, imagine a straight road with trees of the same height on both sides. As you look ahead of this road, you will see that it narrows and the trees get smaller.

But actually these trees same size You know that they are small, and that this small appearance will disappear as you get closer to them. If you put two lines of the same length on the part of this tree-lined road closest to you and the part where it narrows, and try to look at them from afar, the game your brain is playing on you You can see more easily. This Ponzo illusion it is called.

Could it be that the Moon appears large on the horizon because it is next to objects of comparable size? Next is the Ebbinghause illusion

German Psychologist by Hermann Ebbinghause This illusion he puts forth consists of appearing as if there is a difference in size between these two objects, which are actually the same at first, when objects of different sizes are placed around two objects of the same size. This situation, which you can understand from the image above, puts objects in our heads. how we save let’s say it’s about.

With skyscrapers and tall buildings ‘large’ We write as Looking at these structures from afar although they look small we know that they are actually large, and the Moon standing behind them and appearing larger than them, therefore appears larger on the horizon than in the sky.

So if there’s nothing around to compare it to the size of the Moon, do we see the Moon the same way in every location?

We’d like to say it’s true and end the mystery here, but it’s not just people living in cities or rural areas who say the Moon looks bigger on the horizon. There are no objects around to compare the Moon. pilots and sailors reports the same problem.

We see the sky as much closer than it actually is:

• The points where the moon is actually located and what we perceive

Photographer interested in astronomy, albeit an amateur Bob King; He emphasizes that we perceive the horizon as far away and the sky much closer than it actually is. Think of these explanations like this: When you want to reach the Moon you see on the horizon, it feels like you will go forever.

On the other hand, the sky appears to be much lower than it actually is. So, according to these statementsObjects we see from afar grows closer‘ since the thought is in our minds and deviates the horizon from the sky. it’s farther Since we perceive it as such, an error occurs.

We’re knocking on our last door to help clear up the confusion: Convergent reduction.

Unfortunately, this concept does not explain why the Moon appears larger on the horizon. But why at the top as if small It can help you understand what it looks like. When you see the Moon on the horizon, you focus on what is far away. If this is an ocean for example, when looking at the Moon our brain also takes into account the far point of the ocean and that we look away understands.

Since we see it this way from a distance,the moon must be big‘ we think. But when our satellite takes to the sky, there is no place to focus like the ocean or the mountain. Since the focus is not achieved, the Moon is in the sky. as it is on the horizon does not come far. That’s him more than usual close It causes us to perceive and see as if we are small.

Was there any need for such confusion? If the moon is in an elliptical orbit around the Earth, couldn’t it be growing as it gets closer to the planet?

In theory yes, in practice no. In fact, in the practical part, yes, but even though there are periods when the Moon is close to the Earth, it is not that much during these times. a little growth It is observed that it is not even noticed. For this reason, it is not difficult to attribute the Moon’s position on the horizon and in the sky to its approach to the Earth. wouldn’t make sense.

Astronomers are still working on the exact reason why the Moon created such a misconception. This state of misconception has confused scientists since ancient times.

resources: Rationalist, Andrew Vanden Heuvel, Sky and Telescope