The Moon appears so close tonight mainly due to two reasons: the optical phenomenon known as the "Moon illusion," and the Moon's position in its orbit, which can sometimes bring it closer to Earth (near perigee). On August 30, 2025, the Moon is in a Waxing Crescent phase, about 403,960 km from Earth, which is relatively close but not an extreme perigee (closest point). The "Moon illusion" causes the Moon to look larger and closer when it is near the horizon because our brains misperceive its size relative to nearby objects like trees or buildings. This illusion can make the Moon appear unusually large even though its actual distance hasn't changed dramatically.
Additionally, the Moon is seen near the constellation Scorpius and the bright red supergiant star Antares, enhancing the impression of closeness and size visually in the evening sky around August 30-31, 2025.
So, the Moon looks "so close" primarily because of how our eyes and brain interpret its size near the horizon (Moon illusion) combined with its relatively close orbital distance on this date.
