New Moon

With the first new moon of the year coming today, January 11, here is an interesting moon fact. Have you ever wondered why the Moon looks bigger on the horizon? Well, it turns out it’s not because it is closer to you or anything of the sort. It’s an illusion, known as the Ponzo Illusion. What’s happening is actually something that your brain does all the time. The lines are the same width, but the converging lines trick our brain to make the further line appear larger.

Think about what happens when you see one of your friends on the horizon. Although they appear to be really small, your brain doesn't     actually interpret them as being that tiny. Something similar is going on with regards to the Moon. Your brain inflates the size of the Moon to make it appear larger than it really is. Don’t believe it? Next time you’re looking at an over-sized moon, block everything else out with your hands and watch it shrink.