Stargazing in July: Don’t let the giant moon fool you

If you watch the full moon rising higher in the sky during the night this month, it seems to shrink, writes Nigel Henbest

The full moon this month is big, but not as big as you think… (Getty/iStock)

Don’t be fooled by the moon illusion!

The full moon on 13 July will appear huge, like a vast hot-air balloon resting on the horizon – perfect for a romantic summer’s evening.

Its unusual size is partly real: the full moon this month is a supermoon, when our celestial companion is at its closest to the Earth and so it appears larger and brighter than the average full moon. But that’s not the whole story.