Puzzling quotes from astronauts about earth size I have no doubt that we have been to the moon. This question has nothing to do with a moon landing hoax.  But, there are two quotes from two different astronauts regarding the size of the earth as viewed from the moon that are puzzling to me. Both quotes talk about how small the Earth looked. Shouldn’t the Earth look very large when viewed from the moon

It suddenly struck me that that tiny pea, pretty and blue was the Earth. I put up my thumb, shut one eye and my thumb blotted out the planet Earth. I didn't feel like a giant. I felt very, very small. — Neil Armstong
As we got further and further away it [the Earth] diminished in size. Finally it shrank to the size of a marble, the most beautiful you can imagine. That beautiful, warm living object looked so fragile, so delicate that if you touched it with a finger it would crumble and fall apart. Seeing this has to change a man. — James Irwin

I know the term large is subjective, but still, the comments seem off. Please let me know what I’m missing.
The Earth is 4 times the diameter of the Moon. The Earth viewed from the Moon will therefore appear to have 4 times the angular diameter of the Moon viewed from the Earth.

The Moon is easily obscured by a thumb at arm's length (by a factor of 3-4).

Now bring your thumb closer (because you can't fully extend your arm in a bulky space suit) and put on the biggest pair of ski gloves you can find.

It is not a great stretch of the imagination to think your thumb, in a spacesuit, would easily obscure something 4 times the size of the Moon.