How Does Neil deGrasse Tyson Explains “The Sunset Illusion Work?

The sunset looks bigger when it’s near the horizon because of how our eyes and brain work together like a team.

Imagine you're holding a big ball in your hand, and you look at it from close by. Then you walk far away from it. The ball still stays the same size, but it looks smaller from afar. That’s how our eyes see things, closer means bigger, farther means smaller.

Now think of the sun like that big ball. When it's high up in the sky, it feels like it's far away, so it looks small. But when it gets close to the horizon, like when it’s almost touching the ground, your brain thinks it's closer, even though it’s still the same size, and that makes it look bigger!

It’s not really a trick, it’s just how our eyes play with us. Your brain is trying to make sense of what you see, so it guesses where things are based on clues around them. The trees, the buildings, and the ground all help your brain say, “Hey, that sun is close!” when it’s near the horizon.

So next time you see a sunset, remember, it's just your eyes and brain playing a fun game together!