Solstice Moonrise, Cape Sounion

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.