Wednesday, June 22, 2005

The "Summer Moon" Happens This Week

By the way... did you know that this is the week of the "Summer Moon" event in our skies? Starting July 20 and running all week, take a look at the low-hanging full moon rising in the Eastern sky.

NASA explains this unique illusion in the sky better than I can...

"The lowest-hanging full moon in 18 years is going to play tricks on you this week! Sometimes you can't believe your eyes. This week is one of those times. Step outside any evening at sunset and look around. You'll see a giant moon rising in the east. It looks like Earth's moon, round and cratered; the Man in the Moon is in his usual place. But something's wrong. This full moon is strangely inflated. It's huge! You've just experienced the Moon Illusion. Sky watchers have known this for thousands of years: moons hanging low in the sky look unnaturally big. Cameras don't see it, but our eyes do. It's a real illusion."

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