The moon looks larger on the horizon that when it is higher in the sky, in part due to our reliance on

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Size constancy is the tendency of the brain to perceive objects as having a constant size, regardless of their distance from the observer. However, when the moon is on the horizon, we have familiar objects such as trees or buildings for size comparison, which makes the brain perceive the moon as larger. As it rises higher in the sky, it lacks these familiar objects and thus appears smaller. This phenomenon is known as the moon illusion. Motion parallax refers to the way objects appear to move at different speeds depending on their distance from the observer and is not relevant to the moon illusion. Stroboscopic movement is the illusion of movement caused by a rapid series of still images, and aerial perspective refers to the way distant objects appear hazy due to atmospheric conditions, neither of which are relevant to the moon illusion.

The Moon Looks Larger on the Horizon That When It