The Moonrise that pokerfan posted...question

[fadedrose]

I live in Michigan and have never seen the moon look, at hand's distance, as large as even a dime. Never left the eastern part of the US, and have never seen the moon look this big.

I have to ask if a full moon always appears this large in New Zealand - the small silhouettes of the people walking "in front" of it - when viewed by eyesight and not by a camera lens.

My goodness, if the moon is that big in New Zealand, I've got to get there one way or another sometime before I die...

Thank you for any answers..

[mzteris]

1. I've seen the moon look HUGE

in the US - often in NC, but around the country as well. You have to catch the full moon at moonrise. If it's at sunset, you can watch it change colors, too.

[immoderate]

2. People are much smaller than the moon...

OK, that was snarky. The trick is using a telephoto lens, which compresses images at a distance. The people were probably about a mile or so away, but magnified by the lens. The moon, much farther away was also magnified.

--imm

[PoliticAverse]

3. For background see...

http://markg.com.au/2013/01/full-moon-silhouettes
and
http://io9.com/5895950/this-stunning-moonrise-is-an-optical-illusion

[juxtaposed]

4. That's the effect a super telephoto lens

has when shooting far away objects such as the moon, you may remember the late sixty's Canon Commercials of the sunrise, same effect.

[geckosfeet]

5. Look at a full moon when it is first rising or setting near a horizon. A number of optical

effects conspire to make it look quite large when it is near the horizon.

[juxtaposed]

6. Here's the same effect, I took this image with a super telephoto

the smoke stacks are of a power plant about 5+ miles away.
The second image is across the same body of water the same sunrise without a super telephoto.

[SheilaT]

7. It is my understanding

that any photos of a huge moon or sun are done with telephoto lenses.

[longship]

8. The moon is the same size everywhere.

It is also the same size at the horizon as at the zenith. The fact that the moon looks bigger at the horizon is an optical illusion. Your brain is fooled by the fact that there are reference points on the horizon to gauge it's size and there aren't when it's above the horizon.

The large moon effect in the video is an effect of the photographer using a long ass telephoto lens.

[BlueJazz]

9. Actually the Moon is (apparently) larger when overhead...but I'm nit-picking

[longship]

11. Well, ask any astronomer.

The angular size of the moon is not significantly different at the horizon than at the zenith. It is merely a matter of perspective. At the horizon, there are earth-bound references; above the horizon, none. That's why people think that it looks bigger at the horizon when it isn't really. It's an optical illusion.

That was my only point here.

[BlueJazz]

12. We're about 3500 miles closer to the Moon when the Moon is at the zenith than on the horizen.

It's only about 1.3 % but is noticeable in my 16" scope. Still...no big deal.

Funny though, it's just the opposite of what people think...

[longship]

13. Well, I only have a 10" scope, a Dob.

But when I put one of my Nagler eyepieces in, the moon gets really big. I like my 24mm Panoptic the best, with my Vixen LVW 17 and 13mm bringing up second place. My Naglers and the huge 35mm Panoptic are only for special observations.

Sadly, I rarely get my scope out these days. Sadly Michigan has not been too suitable for such things. It has a very good mirror, and at 10" can easily fit in the back of my very old Volvo station wagon, still running great. The Dob mount is custom and has a great digital setting circle.

Nice to see another amateur astronomer on board.

16"!!! I hope it's permanently mounted!

I used to have a Losmandy G-11 and a Williams 110mm TMB triplet, but finances forced me to sell them. They were fucking awesome and would set them up regularly.

Can't wait for spring, some warmth, and some clear skies.

[BlueJazz]

14. A ten inch is a nice scope. I built mine a few years ago with a R.F. Royce mirror and other...

..."stuff."

I take it in my truck every so often to a dark sky place. (mirror in cab!) I live in the Tampa Bay area where a 3rd mag. star can actually be seen sometimes !!

[longship]

15. Very rural West Michigan with semi-dark skies

But far, far too many clouds. Plus, I do not like observing in the cold. No amount of down can help. So my really great scope rarely has light these days. Too bad. It's a really nice one.

I should move to New Mexico where at least one can get the best Mex cuisine on nights one doesn't have good conditions. Too bad my finances don't allow it.

At least we have aurora here.

[handmade34]

10. look here...

I was in St Johnsbury, Vermont in the 90's when I witnessed a super huge Moon!


this is a bit outdated but the science is still good

http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/16mar_supermoon/

[fadedrose]

16. I think there's more to know about the moon than we currently know

It's beautiful, but if I look at it long enough, a full moon, it starts to look scary..and I start to hope it doesn't fall...

Thanks for posting..