Summary
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Abstract
Some claim the Moon appears larger when near the horizon. Make a series of observations of the Moon, measuring the Moon's angular diameter each time. You should also note the Moon's altitude above the horizon, and the Moon's phase. You should do background research on the lunar orbit to determine the necessary time period. Do you find predictable variations in the Moon's diameter? Can you relate this to the Moon's changing distance from Earth? From your data, try to determine when apogee and perigee occurred during your observations. Compare your calculated answer with published dates (Pierce, 2005). For another method of measuring the distance to the Moon, see How Far Away Is the Moon?Bibliography
Pierce, J., 2004. "Ideas for Astronomy Science Fair Projects," Astronomy Program, Minnesota State University, Mankato [accessed December 01, 2011] https://mavdisk.mnsu.edu/wp5884kt/scifair.html.Ask an Expert
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Careers
If you like this project, you might enjoy exploring these related careers:
Career Profile
Astronomers think big! They want to understand the entire universe—the nature of the Sun, Moon, planets, stars, galaxies, and everything in between. An astronomer's work can be pure science—gathering and analyzing data from instruments and creating theories about the nature of cosmic objects—or the work can be applied to practical problems in space flight and navigation, or satellite communications.
Career Profile
Mathematicians are part of an ancient tradition of searching for patterns, conjecturing, and figuring out truths based on rigorous deduction. Some mathematicians focus on purely theoretical problems, with no obvious or immediate applications, except to advance our understanding of mathematics, while others focus on applied mathematics, where they try to solve problems in economics, business, science, physics, or engineering.
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General citation information is provided here. Be sure to check the formatting, including capitalization, for the method you are using and update your citation, as needed.MLA Style
Science Buddies Staff.
"Why Does the Moon Appear Larger at Some Times?" Science Buddies,
28 July 2017,
https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project-ideas/Astro_p030/astronomy/why-does-the-moon-appear-larger-at-some-times.
Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
APA Style
Science Buddies Staff.
(2017, July 28).
Why Does the Moon Appear Larger at Some Times?
Retrieved from
https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project-ideas/Astro_p030/astronomy/why-does-the-moon-appear-larger-at-some-times
Last edit date: 2017-07-28
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