Prepare to be Mooned

Not only is today the longest day of the year, tonight will also host the lowest-hanging full moon in 18 years.  No, not this one. 

This one:



With the moon sitting so low in the night sky, it is a great time to experience one of nature's best illusions.  A moon closer to the horizon always appears to be much larger than a moon high up in the night sky.  Yet, as the time elapsed picture above indicates, the moon remains the same size (appoximately .5 degrees). 

If you are interested, this article details a number of potential theories as to why this illusion occurs. 

So when the sun finally goes down tonight, take a few minutes to enjoy a rare view of the other major celestial object in our skies.