Why does the moon appear to observe me?
Have you ever observed, particularly once you’re driving in a automobile, that the moon appears to observe you? The reason being that the moon is so distant in comparison with earthly objects round you. You see buildings and folks and farm fields whiz by, however you by no means outpace the moon. It seems to observe alongside in your journey.
So think about you’re driving on a straight street with the moon in entrance of you. You don’t see the moon move from the entrance home windows, to the aspect, after which to the again, as you’d a home or tree. Likewise, if the moon is behind you, it appears to remain put whereas objects in your earthly panorama whiz by.
Additionally – after we’re shifting alongside in a automobile – our brains robotically examine the distant moon and stars to that cluttered foreground sweeping previous. In the meantime, as a result of the moon and stars are so distant, they appear to remain in a single spot. And it could possibly appear as if these objects in space are shifting proper together with you.
Or consider it when it comes to angles. The gap between you and the moon is a few quarter million miles. Any distance you journey by automobile on Earth could be very small as compared. So – once you’re shifting in a automobile – from whichever angle we view the moon, it appears to stay in the identical place … following you!
This phenomenon, by the best way – not simply with the moon, however with different shiny sky objects akin to Venus – is liable for many UFO sightings world wide.
Explaining it to youngsters
Right here’s a video for teenagers explaining why the moon appears to observe them:
For a page of kids’ writings about the moon following them, click here.
For a technical explanation explaining why the moon seems to follow you, click here.
Backside line: For those who’ve observed that, once you’re in a shifting automobile, the moon appears to observe you, it’s as a result of the moon is so distant relative to earthly objects.
