Find the Man in the Moon
Image Credit & Copyright:
Dani Caxete
Have you ever seen the Man in 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?