Why Does the Moon Look Bigger Near the Horizon? By Phil Plait I remember watching the full moon rise one early evening a while back. I first noticed a glow to the east lighting up the flat horizon in the darkening sky, and within moments the moon was cresting above it. It looked huge! It also seemed so close that I could reach out and touch it. I gawped at it for a moment and then smiled. I knew what I was actually seeing: the moon illusion. Anyone who has seen the moon (or the sun) near the horizon has experienced this effect. The moon looks enormous there, far larger than it does when it’s overhead.