ChiefChuckalucky wrote:We are talking about the apparent size of the Moon at the horizon Vs. high in the sky. NOT whether the Moon is actually bigger.
Well, then you need to say it that way. Because what you did say, explicitly, was that the Moon is bigger near the horizon. And that is not true. There is an illusion that it is larger- an illusion that not all people see the same.
The Moon in this photo is NOT close to the horizon. It also does not have the view of the Moon really high in the sky.
Certainly, this photo is not the best possible for discussing the Moon illusion. But I don't think that's the only thing this photo was about, either.
The atmosphere will distort the Moon or the Sun close to the horizon. The amount of distortion is due to the amount of atmospheric particles, such as moisture, smoke, smog, and/or temperature changes such as seen with the Moon and the ship in today's photo!
The distortion is due to refraction, caused by different densities in the air. It doesn't have anything to do with particles, moisture, smoke, or smog.
Here, the Moon is much closer to the actual horizon than the Turkey photo, where it is above hills! And it is bigger because of the distortion near the horizon!
This is a single image of the Moon, taken with a telephoto and foreground objects. You can't make any assessment of its apparent size to a viewer on the scene at all. This is a photographic illusion, and is unrelated to the conventional visual Moon illusion. In any case, atmospheric distortion can only make the Moon smaller, not larger.
I have personally seen a sunrise where the Sun was at least double its size seen at noon.
Well, there you go again. I assume what you mean to say is that you have seen a sunrise where the Sun
appeared to you to be at least twice the size that it
appeared to you at noon. Somebody else might see it very differently, because it is just an illusion. If you actually measured the size (which is easy), the Sun at sunrise will be a little smaller than at noon, because of its greater distance (this effect is tiny for the Sun, but quite significant for the Moon). It many also be a little smaller because of atmospheric distortion- that's a little more complicated visually because its effect is to change the shape, not just the size.
A better multiple exposure photograph needs to be taken.
I've seen such images, possibly even on APOD.
[quote="ChiefChuckalucky"]We are talking about the apparent size of the Moon at the horizon Vs. high in the sky. NOT whether the Moon is actually bigger.[/quote]
Well, then you need to say it that way. Because what you did say, explicitly, was that the Moon is bigger near the horizon. And that is not true. There is an illusion that it is larger- an illusion that not all people see the same.
[quote]The Moon in this photo is NOT close to the horizon. It also does not have the view of the Moon really high in the sky.[/quote]
Certainly, this photo is not the best possible for discussing the Moon illusion. But I don't think that's the only thing this photo was about, either.
[quote]The atmosphere will distort the Moon or the Sun close to the horizon. The amount of distortion is due to the amount of atmospheric particles, such as moisture, smoke, smog, and/or temperature changes such as seen with the Moon and the ship in today's photo![/quote]
The distortion is due to refraction, caused by different densities in the air. It doesn't have anything to do with particles, moisture, smoke, or smog.
[quote]Here, the Moon is much closer to the actual horizon than the Turkey photo, where it is above hills! And it is bigger because of the distortion near the horizon![/quote]
This is a single image of the Moon, taken with a telephoto and foreground objects. You can't make any assessment of its apparent size to a viewer on the scene at all. This is a photographic illusion, and is unrelated to the conventional visual Moon illusion. In any case, atmospheric distortion can only make the Moon smaller, not larger.
[quote]I have personally seen a sunrise where the Sun was at least double its size seen at noon.[/quote]
Well, there you go again. I assume what you mean to say is that you have seen a sunrise where the Sun [i]appeared to you[/i] to be at least twice the size that it [i]appeared to you[/i] at noon. Somebody else might see it very differently, because it is just an illusion. If you actually measured the size (which is easy), the Sun at sunrise will be a little smaller than at noon, because of its greater distance (this effect is tiny for the Sun, but quite significant for the Moon). It many also be a little smaller because of atmospheric distortion- that's a little more complicated visually because its effect is to change the shape, not just the size.
[quote]A better multiple exposure photograph needs to be taken.[/quote]
I've seen such images, possibly even on APOD.