Explanation:
Today's solstice marks the northernmost point of
the Sun's annual
motion through planet
Earth's sky and the
astronomical beginning of the northern
hemisphere's summer.
But only two days ago, the Full Moon nearest the solstice
rose close to the ecliptic plane
opposite the Sun, near its southernmost point for the year.
Astronomer Anthony Ayiomamitis recorded
this
dramatic picture of the solstice Full Moon
rising above
Cape Sounion,
Greece.
The twenty-four hundred year old
Temple
of Poseidon lies in
the foreground,
also
visible to sailors on
the Aegean Sea.
In this well-planned single exposure, a telescopic lens
makes the Moon loom large, but even without
optical aid casual skygazers often find
the Full Moon looking astonishingly large when
seen near the horizon.
That powerful visual effect is known as the
Moon Illusion.
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