pete wrote:
Rama wrote:

1. It is said that moon illusion is psychological perception, not
physical i.e it got nothing to do with atmospheric refraction.
2. The horizone full moon is at farther distance compared to overhead
moon. This variation in distance is physical.

So as moon illusion is psychological, it should work if earth itself
is removed.

No.

The illusion is caused by the proximity to the horizon.

But that is still a psychological effect, Sam. To get the Moon illusion,
you need to be on a planet (Earth) so that you have a horizon* and an
illusion (probably something "hard-wired" in the visual system) that the
Moon looks larger on the horizon than higher in the sky.

*Question (that may never have been asked but should be tested): Do
astronauts on the ISS have an impression that the full Moon is larger when
seen "rising" or "setting" than at other times? They are in free-fall
(zero-g) but Earth gives them a horizon of sorts.

--
Mike Dworetsky

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