WHY DOES THE MOON APPEAR LARGER when it is closer to the horizon when it's distance from the earth does flucuate that drastically?
by 
CJM
ANSWERS: 2
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It's a phenomenon known as "atmospheric lensing". It's the same reason the sun looks red at the horizon.
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The Moon can be measured to be virtually the same size in the sky wherever it is. You don't have to take my word for it but it'll take some time to check it out: When the Full Moon is rising, measure its size against something held at arms length. Wait two hours and try it again, you'll find that despite the Moon looking vast on the horizon, it is still the same size up in the sky. The illusion that the Moon is larger on the horizon is caused by perspective: You see the Moon and you see those tiny trees or buildings on the horizon, and the Moon is behind these and yet hugely bigger, so you see the Moon as many times bigger than a tree or a building. Essentially, you get a more accurate judgement of the size of the Moon. If the Earth was flat, and the Moon came up just around the Edge of the Earth, the Moon would be seen at its true size against the blur of whole continents in the distance, which would be mind blowing. When the Moon is high in the sky, you can only easily compare it with stars. It seems quite small compared to the distances between stars. And, of course, it is!
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