* Atmospheric Distortion: The Earth's atmosphere bends light. When the Sun is low on the horizon (like at sunrise or sunset), its light has to travel through more atmosphere to reach your eyes. This bending makes the Sun appear stretched and elongated.
* Relative Size: At noon, the Sun is directly overhead. It's high in the sky, and our brains compare its apparent size to the vast expanse of the sky. This makes it seem smaller than when it's near the horizon, where we can compare it to trees, buildings, or other objects.
In reality, the Sun's actual size remains constant. It's just our perception that changes due to these optical effects.
