How Can A Full Moon Change Size (Bigger Or Smaller)?
Your son is more or less correct. The moon'southward size doesn't change appreciably. At best you but see the size vary by nigh thirteen% (in angular bore).
The variation in the apparent size of the moon comes from the fact that the moon'southward orbit around us is not perfectly spherical and sometimes it is closer and sometimes farther. The moon will appear largest when a full moon coincides with the moon being at its closest betoken in its orbit. This is colloquially referred to every bit a "Super Moon". The opposite, being at its farthest point in its orbit during a full moon, is known as a "Micro Moon" or "Mini Moon". These are really the 2 extremes, simply near often the moon is a more boilerplate size that doesn't appear to change much. Shown below is an epitome of both a Super Moon and a Micro Moon. You lot tin run into the size difference, which is noticeable, but not hugely and then. If yous want to run across a big moon, discover the time when the side by side Super Moon occurs (a good upcoming Super Moon is on November xiv, 2016).
You also do mention the Moon Illusion, where a Moon on the horizon appears larger than it actually is. The crusade for this is debatable, but it is a known optical illusion. I believe the reason for this effect is that almost the horizon, you accept points of reference that allow you to judge the size of the moon different than when information technology is high in the sky, far from other comparing to other objects. Yous can attempt to view the Super Moon as it is rise so as to have total effect of this illusion, simply try to exercise so in an area that isn't flat and devoid of structures (e.k., don't picket the Moonrise over a body of water).
As for your father, mayhap he saw a Super Moon well-nigh the horizon which maximized both the optical illusion and the moon's natural size variability. Possibly he his memory also became exaggerated over the years and then he remembered a Moon which was larger than it actually was.
Source: https://astronomy.stackexchange.com/questions/18633/from-our-worlds-perspective-does-the-full-moon-look-larger-in-one-city-than-it
Posted by: arcewrianded.blogspot.com
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