Psycho-Babble Social Thread 686939

Shown: posts 1 to 5 of 5. This is the beginning of the thread.

lunacy

Posted by llrrrpp on September 17, 2006, at 21:43:54

This is a full moon time.

the moon is so huge.

I know why, I just forgot. It has to do with how the eye perceives distance, and how our visual system is not able to cope with distances on the scale of the distance between the earth and the moon (300K miles?)

And so, when the moon is on the horizon, we use the trees and the contextual clues to tell us that the moon is pretty big, because usually when you move your head to the side a foot, the image of near things "moves" more than the image of far things.

Motion parallax.

Since the moon doesn't move, it means that it's REALLY REALLY far away, and yet, it still takes up a few degrees of visual space.

Hey: visual system,
What takes up visual space and is really far away?
[something REALLLLLY BIG}

Well, when the moon is overhead, we don't have the motion parallax cues, unless there are clouds (doens't the moon look bigger on a cloudy night?)

(((((BigMOOOOON)))))

-ll

Re: lunacy

Posted by Racer on September 17, 2006, at 21:43:54

In reply to lunacy, posted by llrrrpp on September 6, 2006, at 23:15:53

How funny! I was thinking about exactly the same thing driving home tonight...

What's that about great minds? Or something...

Re: lunacy

Posted by Declan on September 17, 2006, at 21:43:54

In reply to lunacy, posted by llrrrpp on September 6, 2006, at 23:15:53

And it's full over your side when it's full over here.

Re: lunacy » Declan

Posted by Phillipa on September 17, 2006, at 21:43:54

In reply to Re: lunacy, posted by Declan on September 7, 2006, at 4:00:07

And the hospitals fill up there is truth in that. Love Phillipa

Re: lunacy

Posted by Declan on September 17, 2006, at 21:43:54

In reply to Re: lunacy » Declan, posted by Phillipa on September 7, 2006, at 11:43:51

I love long walks in the moonlight, not lately I have to admit, but I used to go for 3 or 4 hour long walks in the moonlight.
Everything looks different, the sense of depth changes, colours are different.

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