18 June 2008

The Solstice Moon occurs tonight

"On Wednesday night, June 18th, step outside at sunset and look around. You'll see a giant form rising in the east... It's huge! You've just experienced the Moon Illusion.

There's no better time to see it. The full Moon of June 18th is a "solstice moon", coming only two days before the beginning of northern summer. This is significant because the sun and full Moon are like kids on a see-saw; when one is high, the other is low. This week's high solstice sun gives us a low, horizon-hugging Moon and a strong Moon Illusion...

The best time to look is around moonrise, when the Moon is peeking through trees and houses or over mountain ridges."

Text above (and table of moonrise times in various cities) credit to NASA website. Image credit to this UW website, where the pathogenesis is discussed. [I don't know if this is applicable for Aussies]

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