Areas of Science Astronomy
Difficulty
Time Required Very Long (1+ months)
*Note: For this science project you will need to develop your own experimental procedure. Use the information in the summary tab as a starting place. If you would like to discuss your ideas or need help troubleshooting, use the Ask An Expert forum. Our Experts won't do the work for you, but they will make suggestions and offer guidance if you come to them with specific questions.

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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.

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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 1 Mar. 2021.

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

Experimental Procedure

For this science project you will need to develop your own experimental procedure. Use the information in the summary tab as a starting place. If you would like to discuss your ideas or need help troubleshooting, use the Ask An Expert forum. Our Experts won't do the work for you, but they will make suggestions and offer guidance if you come to them with specific questions.

If you want a Project Idea with full instructions, please pick one without an asterisk (*) at the end of the title.

Share your story with Science Buddies!

I did this project Yes, I Did This Project! Please log in (or create a free account) to let us know how things went.

Ask an Expert

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