Is the MOON getting closer to Earth??

2 mornings ago I was extremely started by the sheer size of the Moon setting, around 7:15am Mountain Time.
It was atleast 40-50% bigger than I have ever saw it. It stuck with me with all morning then I plainly just forgot about it as the day progressed..

Well this evening, as I was out for a walk with my daughter.. We could see an emmense light coming from between the houses up on the hill a bit, obviously the Moons emitted light, and as we came around the corner the Moon, once again, was massive and emmensely bright.

Anyone else notice this, Western North America, or anywhere?

January 20th 2011.

reply to post by CanadianDream420


Definetly saw that.

As far as I know it's an atmospheric trick. Scientists will tell you that the moon is getting farther and farther away from earth, but I don't know what kind of science that is based on or anything.

It was definetly huge and yellow-orange last night.

~Keeper

It had to be angle combined with air fluctuations.

The moon is getting further away from us slowly according to NASA studies.

By bouncing lasers off the moon I am pretty sure is how they determined this.

i have noticed that many years ago, there was one night when it was so huge and orange/red

i have heard that its normal, something like optical illusion or something like that

reply to post by tothetenthpower


I've noticed that whenever the moon looks more yellowish or orangish it appears bigger. When it looks white/gray, it is normal size. I'm sure there's a reason but I don't know the physics behind it.

And this was something I just noticed a few years ago myself, and I thought I was losing it the first time it happened.

Im amazed you made this thread becaue I was thinking the same thing 2 nights ago.

reply to post by CanadianDream420


It's an optical illusion. Seriously, the moon at its zenith in the sky is exactly the same size as the moon on the horizon. You can measure this with a ruler. There's nothing like "atmospheric magnification" or whatever, it's just your brain playing a trick on you. This is because of visual cues. When you are looking at the moon on the horizon, you are comparing it to other objects on the horizon - trees, hills, buildings, etc. THis makes the moon appear very large (because, well, the moon IS very large.) However, when it's overhead in the sky, you lack those cues.

If you had some point of reference when the moon is overhead, as distant from you as the horizon, the moon would suddenly look MASSIVE (it's actually a little larger when it's overhead, since when it's on hte horizon, you have the distance of hte earth between you and it, as well)

true accept taking all that into account IT STILL LOOKS LARGER THEN NORMAL

quote]Originally posted by CanadianDream420
2 mornings ago I was extremely started by the sheer size of the Moon setting, around 7:15am Mountain Time.
It was atleast 40-50% bigger than I have ever saw it. It stuck with me with all morning then I plainly just forgot about it as the day progressed..

Well this evening, as I was out for a walk with my daughter.. We could see an emmense light coming from between the houses up on the hill a bit, obviously the Moons emitted light, and as we came around the corner the Moon, once again, was massive and emmensely bright.

Anyone else notice this, Western North America, or anywhere?

January 20th 2011.
I watched the moon yesterday night and was at awe at how huge and eery it looked, infact I recorded what I seen. I alos took more video with a diffrent camera but I don't have the DV cord for it. Note: after a good while several planes flew by and sprayed the sky with chemtrails and the sky got cloudy....








I know exactly what you seen.... for the moon was really big... for I took video and pics myself since I found it wierd

Originally posted by TheWalkingFox
reply to post by CanadianDream420

 

It's an optical illusion. Seriously, the moon at its zenith in the sky is exactly the same size as the moon on the horizon. You can measure this with a ruler. There's nothing like "atmospheric magnification" or whatever, it's just your brain playing a trick on you. This is because of visual cues. When you are looking at the moon on the horizon, you are comparing it to other objects on the horizon - trees, hills, buildings, etc. THis makes the moon appear very large (because, well, the moon IS very large.) However, when it's overhead in the sky, you lack those cues.

If you had some point of reference when the moon is overhead, as distant from you as the horizon, the moon would suddenly look MASSIVE (it's actually a little larger when it's overhead, since when it's on hte horizon, you have the distance of hte earth between you and it, as well)

I knew there had to be an "answer" like this...

and to that I say... What if you're wrong? As in, you're right about your breakdown because it's always been viewed like that, but what if this time it really IS getting closer???

reply to post by muzzleflash


Presently, the moon is receeding from Earth at a rate of about 3cm per year. However, it will reach a point, in the future, where this recession will cease. Here is the explanation from NASA:

The Moon will not leave the Earth's gravity, even though the orbit of the Moon is increasing slightly. The Earth's rotation is slowing down (due to "tidal braking"), and to conserve angular momentum the Moon is accelerating. The Moon's orbit increases by about 3 cm/year.

The Earth and the Moon eventually will be "locked" together with each only having one side constantly facing the other. (Right now the same side of the Moon faces the Earth, but all sides of the Earth see the Moon. In the future this will not be true!) Life on Earth will be quite different then, but this won't occur for billions of years yet. When it does occur, the Moon's orbit will be 50% larger than it is now, and a month will be about 50 days.

reply to post by CanadianDream420


You mean like this big.

taken January 20 2011 I even got some planets in the photo with the long exposure. That is no refelection though a window, that is the moon refelecting off my lens. it was bright !

The Moon January 20th 2011

reply to post by CanadianDream420



The moon is brighter because of all the metal floating around in Earth's atmosphere...

I wouldn't say it's larger, well maybe a little. Sure.

TheWalkingFox is correct about horizon based visual cues making the moon (and other objects including the constellations) appear larger. The Big dipper is another obvious one. It appears much larger when it is closer to the horizon.

The Moon has another added affect however. Its orbit around the Earth is not a perfect circle so it actually oscillates closer to and further away from us on a regular basis. Here is a photo of showing the difference in apparent size when the Moon is closest and furthest from us.

Moon Sizes

Ive noticed this too in the UK. Ive been keeping track of this for a couple of years and this year is the largest ive seen it. Almost freaky. There have been studies conducted all over the states that look at the moons effect on human behaviour at different points in its cycle and there is a 100 percent corolation between the full moon and bad behaviour in humans.

I think the moon is getting closer and is changing its influence on the human race.

Check this book out, it will blow your mind, its full of quantifyable bizare facts about the moon and how it shouldnt be there.

www.amazon.co.uk...

Visually it should appear the same and even on both horizons East and West .The distance no matter where you are personally standing at the time should be the same, as your personal space is always the zero meridian for you eyes while encompassing the planets curviture .However obsticles can hinder your view ( such as mountain ranges , buildings and so forth ).If this is not the case, either the Earth has a bulge or the Earth and Moon are in a oviod orbit to neach other ? So which is it ? Observations over the last two nights from where I sit in the East Coast of Australia is as follows .Rising ,average/moderate , over head average/moderate and setting in the West gigantic . Debate and rage on friends always healthy

Slightly off-topic, however..

People many years ago used to think the the Sun and the Moon were one and the same. But what I don't understand is certainly over the last 3 years since I paid attention, the moon is visible in the sky during the day...clearly. Has out atmosphere changed that much, so that now the moon is constantly on show?

I've pondered this for a while..any answers?

For reference, this is observed in the UK and Spain.

I noticed this this morning on the way to work. The sun was rising and the moon was setting but it was huge, I dont think I have seen it that size before. What makes me think its some sort of illusion though is because the moons face wasnt as clear is it normaly is. You couldnt make out the crater paterns clearly, where as you can when its at its normal size and bright.

What the heck is wrong with you people ?
Have you all lost the capacity and capability to do even the simplest and most basic research to answer your own questions ?

The following information that clearly explains observed changes in the moon's apparent size when viewed at different times took me less than 2 minutes to find using a simple Google search.

This apparent difference in size is clearly obvious in the following image.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/b33cfe75a020.jpg[/atsimg]

The orbit of the Moon is distinctly elliptical with the nearest and farthest points in the orbit called the perigee and apogee respectively. The resultant non-circular form of the lunar orbit causes variations in the Moon's angular speed and APPARENT SIZE as it moves towards and away from an observer on Earth.

Originally posted by Neoony
i have noticed that many years ago, there was one night when it was so huge and orange/red

i have heard that its normal, something like optical illusion or something like that

Iv seen that. about 15 years ago.

I all so saw the moon the other night Op and it was bright here in the uk too, after you looked at for a few seconds you got a bit of a black dot in your eye, kind of like when you look at the sun.

I thought it could be extra solar radiation or something reflecting off the moon.