NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #27/NN_1992_27.iso/spool/sci/astro/12286

Internet Message Format | 1992-11-21 | 1.7 KB

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From: [e-mail] (Erik Max Francis)
Newsgroups: sci.astro
Subject: Re: Lunar astronaut covers earth with thum
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Date: 21 Nov 92 03:55:20 GMT
References: <[e-mail]>
Organization: The Dark Side of the Moon +1 408 245 SPAM
Lines: 25

[e-mail] (C. Taylor Sutherland III) writes:

> [e-mail] (David Adams) writes:
>
> >Let's see if I can get it right.  When the moon appears near the horizon
> >it's light must traverse a greater amount of earths atmosphere.  The
> >light rays are bent more and thus the atmosphere actually acts like
> >a magnifying lense when the moon (or sun) is in this position.  (Did
> >I get it right?)
>
> Nope.  Sorry.  It's just an illusion.  When the moon is on the horizon,
> your brain puts it in relation to the things that are in the line of sight,
> like trees and buildings and it looks big against them.  When the moon is
> overhead, there are no such things and it "looks" smaller.  The actual size
> of the moon that you see does not change.  That's why it is called an illusio

Yeah, I had thought what C. Taylr conjectured, too.  That's what happens
when you're an inquisitive boy and your father would rather give you an
answer -- made up or not -- rather than honestly answer, "I don't know."
:-)

----------
Erik Max Francis   Omnia quia sunt, lumina sunt.  Coming soon:  UNIVERSE _ | _
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