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You are here: Home / Space / Why Does the Moon Appear To Be Smaller When It Is Higher In the Sky and What Causes the Optical Illusion?

Why Does the Moon Appear To Be Smaller When It Is Higher In the Sky and What Causes the Optical Illusion?

July 11, 2020 by Karen Hill

The Moon doesn’t actually get smaller as it rises.

It’s an optical illusion, or a trick that’s played on our eyesight.

When we see the Moon on Earth’s horizon, our brain registers its size in comparison to objects on Earth: buildings, trees, the ocean.

It appears huge and much bigger than when it is high in the sky.

As it rises, our brain loses its earthbound scale of reference.

The Moon seems to grow smaller.

This phenomenon is known as the Moon illusion.

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Filed Under: Space

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

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