who plays silly beggars with moon

[lizzylemon]

I know we're on a fixed axis etc so why does the moon change size so suddenly.


last night driving home from wrk it was ginormous compared to how it normally looks & i dont just mean the normal waxing & waining malarky, I'm talk harvest moon, take up half the sky type thingy.

Thanks!

[Jeanied]

Scary, isn't it Lizzie! I'll never forget living abroad where the moon is even closer - and I swear the locals were regularly driven bonkers at the full moon. They either started shooting each other or suing each other (well it was California!)

[Brengirl]

Are you in love Lizzie. You maybe moonstruck

[Patchninja]

On the radio the other day, a man was talking about how it's been proven that there are more animal bites reported during full moons! Spooky!

[lizzylemon]

Are you in love Lizzie. You maybe moonstruck

Erm.......nope definitely not that one.......as far away from being in love as is we are from the moon tbh

[lizzylemon]

They either started shooting each other or suing each other (well it was California!)

Blimey it must have been bad if you noticed the difference - I thort they were past-times. Where you Nor'Cal or So'Cal - I used to work for Amgen in So'Cal.

(P.S. just kidding if any of our US Cousins are reading)

[Brengirl]

Erm.......nope definitely not that one.......as far away from being in love as is we are from the moon tbh

BUT... the moon doth shine brightly..............

[Jeanied]

Blimey it must have been bad if you noticed the difference - I thort they were past-times. Where you Nor'Cal or So'Cal - I used to work for Amgen in So'Cal.

(P.S. just kidding if any of our US Cousins are reading)

This was Napa, Lizzy - and I really did notice the difference. Mind you it was hot as well as loony.

[zebedee]

Techie bit I'm afraid. Its down to the magnifying effect of the Earths atmosphere.

[lizzylemon]

Techie bit I'm afraid. Its down to the magnifying effect of the Earths atmosphere.

That's what I was hoping for....the techie bit. What makes the magnification and does it move around like a cloud, or disperse or what. I am genuinely interested - it's pretty amazing to see and seems pretty random.

[zebedee]

Okay, seriously techie. The actual shape of the Earth's atmosphere is constantly being affected from above by the Solar Wind, and from below by the climate pressure changes. Because it is a reasonably transparent gas, these changes cause a lenticular effect (pretty much like how the eye focuses) and can produce local area magnification. Also, when the moon is fairly low on the horizon, there is more atmosphere to shine through, which can also cause magnification. As the moon gets higher in the sky, there is (relatively) less atmosphere, therefore less magnification. I have to stop now, as my brain is getting hot and my fingers are swelling!

[lizzylemon]

Also, when the moon is fairly low on the horizon, there is more atmosphere to shine through, which can also cause magnification. As the moon gets higher in the sky, there is (relatively) less atmosphere, therefore less magnification.

Ah yes - I had noticed that I tended to see it as it's rising rather than hanging around in the sky but I thought that maybe it was something along the same lines as pollution which, I believe (& could be totally wrong) makes it a different colour sometimes (i.e. orange during harvest times).

Kind of glad it looses it's magnification as it gets higher though - it'd feel like something from an 'end of the world' film if it was that big and hanging ominously in the sky at random times.

Thanks for the techie info - very interesting, especially as you've translated it into layman terms very well.

[weekendwellies]

It was beeeeeuuuutiful last night too. Clear and full.

I cant help with the techie stuff, I can only admire the wonders of nature.

[zebedee]

Thinking of the solar wind and the atmosphere, one of the eeriest and most beautiful sights has got to be the Northern Lights! WOW

[lizzylemon]

Yes Ive looked at pictures but cant begin to imagine what they look like in real life. Erie(sp) and stunning