14 DAY TRIAL // The full moon is a natural phenomenon that has inspired many writers and movie producers, as well as ordinary people. You've probably seen at least one bad movie where two lovers kiss under a huge full moon visible on the horizon.
Also, there is a strong belief that the full moon is caused by a series of physical and psychological effects, like people turning into werewolves, vampires and other supernatural creatures. Many emergency room nurses believe in the lunar effect and say things really get crazy out there when the moon is full.
This weekend, there is another full moon, and it will look larger than ever. But what really causes the full moon on the horizon look so big? Does it really get bigger?
No, it's just an optical illusion. Actually, this is only one of the lunar phases that occur when the Moon is located in space on the opposite side of the Earth from the Sun, and when the three celestial bodies are aligned as close as possible to a straight line.
During this period, the hemisphere of the Moon that is facing the Earth (the near side) is fully illuminated by the Sun and appears round and larger than before, when seen from Earth. This weekend, the full moon will be hanging lower in the sky than any other full moon of this year, according to NASA.
This produces an optical illusion that gives people the impression that the moon is larger that it usually is. That's not due to any atmospheric phenomena, such as light diffraction, water vapors or anything like it.
Actually, it's all in the mind. The mind is responsible for considering things on the horizon as being much farther away than objects located directly overhead, due to the fact that clouds directly above us are closer than those on the horizon.
The brain is assimilating the sky to a flattened dome, because we can't perceive the round shape of the Earth. That's why the brain is expecting something on the horizon, like the moon, to be farther than when it's directly above us.
Since it really isn't farther at all, the mind fools itself into imagining that the moon is larger that before. This big moon illusion will be visible Friday, Saturday and Sunday, when the moon will appear nearly full.