You can help provide data for a research project studying the “Moon Illusion”

What is the “Moon Illusion”?
Have you ever noticed that when the Moon is close to the horizon it may appear to be much larger in size than when you see it high overhead? Amazingly, the moon doesn’t change size very much in size as it moves through the sky. And although you may think this phenomenon is due to atmospheric distortion, think again. If anything, this distortion would make the moon look smaller. It turns out that the Moon just looks bigger in your mind, an effect known as the “Moon Illusion”. Prove it to yourself – here’s how to measure it!

What’s going on?
Part of what’s going on may have to do with perceptual cues. Objects can look larger when you feel they’re very far away. The objects in the foreground, like house and trees for instance, may make the Moon appear larger than when it’s high overhead in an empty part of the sky. Other theories look at how we perceive the open dome of the sky overhead. Overall though, there really isn’t agreement on exactly why we see such a large moon on the horizon, especially at certain times and not others. 

How can I help?
Our aim is to collect data from a broad spectrum of people in many different geographic areas and at different times to help us better understand this illusion. Contributing data is easy. We’ve partnered with SciStarter.org, an online citizen science portal. There you can learn step-by-step how to take measurements and submit data to this project. 

What is Citizen Science?
Citizen science projects are real research projects where the public can contribute data, or help analyze data, allowing scientists to make new discoveries. Here’s where you can learn more!