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      01-28-2019, 10:38 AM   #11937
dcstep
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Quote:
Originally Posted by M_Six View Post
DC, nicely done. I've read conflicting views about the apparent size of the moon when it's lower in the sky than when it's higher. I know the actual distance doesn't change, but I've always felt the curvature of the earth's atmosphere acts as a magnifying glass to create the illusion of a larger moon near the horizon. During the eclipse moonrise last week, which I can clearly watch from my living room, the moon seemed quite large as it rose above the horizon. When I went out at the beginning of the eclipse, the moon was nearly overhead and seemed just a small dot in the sky. My perception is not that far off that I'd believe my eyes are just playing tricks on me. Your photo is a good example. One of these days I'll set the camera to one focal length and take a shot of the moon coming up over the horizon and again later when it's much higher in the sky and then compare pixels.
I think you'll find it takes more pixels near the horizon. I think it's caused by the atmosphere acting as a magnifying glass and bending the light. It's also much harder to get a clear, detailed image, because of the extra atmosphere that the light travels through.

Dave
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