
Unfortunately, human eyesight can't be trusted when dealing with extremely large distances. The moon is not any larger overhead than it is near the horizon. Mario Ponzo first determined that our minds sometimes gauge the size of an object based on the background behind it. Because we perceive the sky as an extended dome, the moon appears to be very distant when on the horizon. On the other hand, things like clouds and airplanes, which are viewed directly overhead appear (and really are) much closer. So naturally. we tend to think that the moon is closer when viewed overhead too.
But the idea of the moon being farther away because it is on the horizon rather than overhead is only an illusion, as the moon is beyond the sky and hundreds of thousands of m

NASA says that the moon illusion is particularly strong and long-lasting during the solstice, two days before the start of summer in Northern Hemisphere.
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