The moon has maintained a consistent mean diameter since its formation, but its perceived size can vary due to perspective. This weekend, it will be a micromoon, appearing 14% smaller and 30% dimmer than usual because of its position at apogee. The optical illusion known as the moon illusion is also at play; when the moon is near the horizon, it seems larger compared to terrestrial objects, but this effect vanishes as it rises higher in the sky, leading to perceived shrinkage. Understanding these phenomena can enhance our appreciation of lunar observations.
When we see the moon at perigee, closer to Earth, it naturally looks bigger creating the phenomenon known as a supermoon, when the lunar disk appears 7% larger and 15% brighter than it typically does.
Your eyes and, significantly, your brain, are lying. To prove it, simply stretch your arm out, close one eye, and hold your index finger up. Your fingernail and the moon will appear about the same size, regardless of how big or small the moon looks.
Thanks to the so-called moon illusion, it may appear especially large—sometimes huge—when it is low in the sky, hugging the horizon, and then appearing to shrink steadily as it climbs in the sky.
The micromoon is something else. At apogeewhich is where the moon will be this weekend—it will appear 14% smaller and 30% dimmer, creating the illusion of the micromoon.
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