(Mark Elkington) wrote in
om:

So there you have it. Closeness to the horizon was not the cause, but
rather relative distances to terrestrial reference objects.

I think this is rather simplistic myself. It doesn't explain why the
phenomenon occurs at sea, or in the Sahara Desert. It doesn't explain why
the Sun is also affected, or the constellations.

I watched Pegasus rise last night, and it's a constellation that is hugely
affected. When it's low in the NE, it appears to cover a huge amount of the
visible sky.

I was wondering if passengers riding in a jetliner at 35,000 feet see the
same effect when the moon rises. Does anybody know?