The Moon illusion is the optical illusion in which the Moon appears larger when it is near the horizon than it does higher up in the sky, even though its actual size and distance from an observer barely change. The illusion has been recognized since ancient times and has been recorded independently by a range of different cultures. A similar effect can also be seen with other celestial objects, including a rising or setting sun and the constellations, and despite centuries of study its cause remains not fully settled, with the Ponzo illusion offered as one popular explanation.
Facts
Core ClaimThe Moon appears larger near the horizon than it does higher up in the sky, an optical illusion. 1 Classification
Type of Phenomenon Sources
1. Wikipedia: Moon illusion
Lead, first sentence
The Moon illusion is the optical illusion of the Moon appearing larger near the horizon than it does higher up in the sky.
lead section, phenomenon-kind classification
The Moon illusion is the optical illusion in which the Moon appears larger when it is near the horizon than it does higher up in the sky, even though its actual size and distance from an observer barely change.
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