- Proximity: Compared to stars that are thousands or millions of light years away, the moon is just 384,400 kilometres (239,000 miles) away from the Earth. This makes the moon appear much larger in our night sky.
- Angular size: The angular size of an object is its apparent size as measured from the observer. The moon has an angular size of about 0.5 degrees, which is much larger than that of any star.
- Brightness: The moon is relatively bright, reflecting sunlight back towards Earth. This makes the moon more visible than stars, which are often very dim due to their distance.
- Contrast: The moon's bright appearance is further enhanced by its contrast against the dark background of the night sky. This makes the moon appear even larger than it actually is.
