The thing about the moon is that it has a very little atmosphere (I believe 1% that of the earth) and as a result things in the far distance don't refract the same as they would on our planet, causing things to not look normal for something that far. So the next time your pareidolia starts acting crazy over a photo taken on Mars or the Moon, keep this in mind before you head down to the emergency bunker.
Pareidolia (
/ˌpærɪˈdoʊliə, ˌpɛər-/;
[1] also
US:
/ˌpɛəraɪ-/)
[2] is the tendency for
perception to impose a meaningful interpretation on a nebulous
stimulus, usually visual, so that one sees an object, pattern, or meaning where there is none.
Common examples are
perceived images of animals, faces, or objects in cloud formations, seeing faces in inanimate objects, or
lunar pareidolia like the
Man in the Moon or the
Moon rabbit. The concept of pareidolia may extend to include
hidden messages in recorded music played in reverse or at higher- or lower-than-normal speeds, and hearing voices (mainly indistinct) or music in random noise, such as that produced by air conditioners or fans.
[3][4]
Scientists have taught computers to use visual clues to "see" faces and other images.
[5]