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Credit & Copyright: Dani Caxete
Explanation:
Have you ever seen the Man on the Moon?
This common question plays on the ability of humans to see
pareidolia -- imagining familiar
icons where they don't actually exist.
The textured surface of Earth's
full Moon
is home to numerous identifications of iconic objects,
not only in modern western culture but in
world folklore throughout
history.
Examples, typically dependent on
the Moon's perceived orientation, include
the
Woman
in the Moon and the
Rabbit
in the Moon.
One facial outline commonly identified as the
Man in the Moon
starts by imagining the two dark circular areas --
lunar maria -- here just above
the Moon's
center, to be the eyes.
Surprisingly, there actually is a man in this
Moon
image -- a
close look
will reveal a real person -- with a telescope --
silhouetted against the Moon.
This featured well-planned image was taken in mid-January in
Cadalso de los Vidrios
in
Madrid,
Spain.
Do you have a
favorite object that
you see in the Moon?
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: Moon
Publications with words: Moon
See also: