Moon illusion

This article is about the apparent variation in the moon's size. For the discrepancy between the sun's position and the lunar terminator, see Lunar terminator.

The Moon illusion is the optical illusion of the Moon appearing larger near the horizon than it does higher up in the sky. It has been known since ancient times and recorded by various cultures.

The illusion is seen also with other celestial objects (such as in a sunset or sunrise, and constellation) and remains inconclusively explained, with the ponzo illusion as a popular explanation.

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