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Why can the Moon appear as large as the Sun even though you know the Moon is much smaller than the Sun?
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
The Moon is much closer to Earth than the Sun is, therefore making the moon appear to be as large or larger than the sun when viewed from Earth.
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
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What happens when the moon is waxing?
when the moon is said to be "waxing" it basically means that it's getting bigger. the sun reflects off of more of its surface that is visable to the earth. from the new moon, it slowly becomes a waxing crescent, then waxing gibbous, to eventually a full moon. then begins "waning" or getting smaller until it's back to the new moon again.
Why does some full moons look bigger than others?
It actually is the same size visually, but there is a visual effect that makes it look bigger or smaller in the sky based on how close it is to the horizon. In the summer, the full moon takes a lower path cross the sky and stays closer to the horizon. When the moon is low, we see it next to other objects like mountains, trees, and buildings which then makes it look bigger in comparison. In the winter, the full moon takes a higher path across the sky, and when it is really high up there is nothing next to it to compare it to except empty sky. This makes the moon look like it is really small. The different paths of the sun and the moon across the sky are both caused by the tilt in the Earth's axis which many scientist think was caused by a protoplanet the size of Mars crashing into the Earth 4 1/2 billion years ago. This collision knocked off a large part of the Earth's outer mantle which then flew into space and became the moon. So, in a way, the moon actually caused the phenomenon that makes itself appear bigger and smaller in the sky at different times of the year. =========================== Wrong , it is caused by looking at the moon through a lens effect caused by the surface of the earth being enveloped by a layer of moisture/humidity/ that creates a lens effect similar to a contact lenses on a human eye , Looking through that lens EFFECT at variable angles of degree creates different (refractive ,Progressive )visual sizes of perspective pertaining to the actual size of the moon itself,similar to looking through a contact lens at different angles. While looking through your lens straight forward (The thickest portion of the lens ) The image you see will be the largest in aspect. If looking to the right or left the image becomes smaller. If seeing the moon after a storm it will appear larger because the amount of moisture in the atmosphere is larger thus creating more refraction of the light source available to create the effect that the visual perspective of the moon is larger
Does the moon have plains?
No, but it does have deep/large creators. Valleys are created by glaciers and a geologically active crust, neither of which the Moon has. Creators from meteor and comet impacts make up the majority of the Moon's surface features.
What does the planete Mercure look like?
The planet Mercury looks like our moon. The surface is covered with craters and has a thick iron core.
Which eclipses occur when the tilt of the moon's orbit around the earth is tilted at zero to the earth's orbit?
This is when a Solar Eclipse occurs, the total eclipse happens when the moon's apparent size is bigger than the sun's and the moon blocks out nearly all of the sun's light - thus making stars appear.
Why can the moon appear as large as the sun even though you know the moon much smaller than the sun?
For the same reason you can cover either of them with your hand, even though it's much smaller than either.The Moon is much smaller than the Sun, but it's also much closer than the Sun.
Why does moon appear smaller from earth?
because the moon is one quarter size of the earth.
Can it be a full moon three nights in a row?
it can appear to be a full moon but it will be slightly smaller each day
How does the moon appear to an observer on earth during a full moon?
Full, large or whole. Maybe the question was meant to be...How would the Earth appear to an observer on the moon during a full moon?
Why does mars appear smaller than the moon when seen from earth?
Mars is tremendously farther away from the Earth than the moon is.
Why can the moon appear as large as the sun?
Because the moon is much more closer than sun in our solar system.
Why are the stars smaller than the moon?
Stars are smaller than the moon because they are further away. They're not actually smaller, its just because they are so far away. Stars are actually very large.
When it is close to horizon why does the moon sometimes appear larger?
This is a well-known optical illusion which is most likely caused by the relative sizes of objects surrounding the Moon. Clouds and buildings appear smaller near the horizon, which makes the Moon look much larger in comparison. When the Moon is high in the sky, clouds and perhaps buildings around it are much closer to you, which makes the Moon look smaller in comparison.
Why does the moon appear the same size as the sun even though you know the moon is much smaller than the sun?
The sun is more distant, if 2 objects are the same size, and one is very far and one is very close, the more distant one will appear smaller.However, the sun's much larger size compensates for the greater distance, so they will appear to look identical in size.Or they are somewhat the same size and somewhat equal distance away from the Earth.The moon is 400 times smaller than the sun and the sun is 400 times further away from earth.
Why does the moon appear to be as large as the sun when viewed from the earth?
The simple answer is that; it is closer. Thanks to forced perspective, smaller objects that are closer may look as big or even bigger than bigger objects that are farther away.
Why do the stars appear so small and why does the moon appear so big?
The stars appear small to us because they are very far away. They are actually much larger than the moon. The moon appears large in the sky because it is Earth's closest neighbor in space.
How mach smaller the moon is then a Sun?
I don't know the exact ratio, but in laymans terms, the moon is way way way smaller. I know that if the Sun was the size of a large beach ball, then the moon would be about the size of a pinhead.
