Have you ever looked at the Moon near the horizon and thought it looked enormous?

Then you take out your phone.

Take a picture.

And suddenly the Moon looks tiny.

So what happened?

The Moon didn't shrink.

Your brain changed the way it was interpreting what you saw.

In Why the Moon Looks Huge Until You Try to Photograph It, we explore the fascinating Moon illusion and why the Moon can appear dramatically larger near the horizon even though its actual size and distance haven't suddenly changed.

The Moon is roughly the same apparent size in the sky whether it's near the horizon or high overhead.

But your perception isn't based only on the image entering your eyes.

When the Moon is near the horizon, your brain sees it alongside trees, buildings, mountains, ro ...