Moon Tilt Illusion

=Description=

(Source)

Professor Myers at the University of Pennsylvania provides the following description:

http://www.upenn.edu/emeritus/essays/MyersMoon.html (Archive)



Moon Tilt Observational Diagram
In a related paper from the same author titled The Moon Tilt Illusion (Archive) professor Myers provides the following diagram of the observed tilt of the Moon and its displacement from the expected angle:



Sun and Moon Anomaly
From a Stack Exchange post on the Moon Tilt Illusion we read:





A Different Moon Illusion
Another observation is given here:

http://www.astropix.com/html/l_story/moonill.html (Archive)



=Explanations=

Perspective Explanations
An explanation of the Moon Tilt Illusion is given in the form of a perspective effect. It is possible to get very close to an object and make it appear to change angle and point upwards, downwards, or to the side. It is claimed that this is occurring with the Moon.

A VSauce video titled The Moon Terminator Illusion (Runtime:11m) explains the Moon Tilt Illusion via a perspective effect:



In the above demonstration VSauce references a close range perspective effect. However, that same effect is not going to occur with the same motions of the camera if the screen is far from the observer. The camera would need to move of equal proportions if the laptop screen is far away. Under the Sun-Earth-Moon system the bodies maintain the same distances from the observer at all times, and do not move closer or further from the observer enough, as compared to their distances, as to cause a large perspective effect changes.

Another version of the perspective argument is given here:



The Moon is pointing downward at the Sun at the horizon. Moving the camera close to the Moon, the Moon appears to point upwards.

In contrast to this argument, under the Round Earth Theory both the Sun and the Moon are far away from the observer and are at the same distance from the observer at all times. They do not change distances radically from the observer, as the camera changes in relation to the Moon in the above animation. As an example; a pencil 10,000 feet away from the observer will not be subject to close range perspective as easily as a pencil held an arms length away. Hence, the explanations are extraneous to the systems in the Round Earth Theory.

Difference in Position Diagram
According to the RET over the course of a day the changing of distance to the Moon is negligible. The Moon maintains its distance from the center of the Earth at all times slowly rotating around it. The Earth in turn rotates at a faster rate in relation to the Moon. An observer on the surface of the Earth at the Equator will observe a change in the position of the Moon by less than 2 degrees, as demonstrated in the below illustration:



In the above diagram the outer orange circle is the distance between the Earth to the Moon turned into a circle. Divided by 360 degrees gives the number of degrees per mile, which is used to find the displacement in degrees between the extremes of either side of the Earth.

Looking at the Sun as compared to the Earth's Diameter or the Moon's Orbit Diameter with a similar methodology we also find negligible differences in angle displacement:


 * Earth Diameter: 7917.5 mi


 * Diameter of Moon Orbit: (Dist to Moon) 238,900 x 2 = 477,800 mi


 * Distance from Earth to Sun: 92,900,000 mi


 * Circumference of Earth to Sun Radius: 2 * pi * 92,900,000 = 583,707,915.037


 * 583,707,915.037 / 360 = 1621410.8751 mi per degree


 * (Moon Orbit Diameter) 477,800 mi / 1621410.8751 = 0.29468 Degrees Max


 * (Earth Diameter) 7917.5 / 1621410.8751 = 0.00488 Degrees Max

One must wonder where are all of the perspective change for the Moon Tilt Illusion are coming from. It is certainly not from the geometry of the Sun-Earth-Moon system.

The argument that perspective can cause drastic changes to the positioning of the Moon is questionable. The examples given with toys at close range is of little relation to the systems proposed by astronomy. A geometric explanation applicable to such a scheme is unavailable.

Hallway Perspective
Another perspective example is given in the way of standing in the middle of a hallway. In The Moon Tilt Illusion (Archive) we read a description:



The above scenario involves standing in the middle of a long hallway, and observing the angles of the ceiling at either end are tilted to perspective. The ceiling just above you is horizontally parallel. The movement of the moon is just like traveling down or up the length of the ceiling of a hallway, and will change to perspective like the angled corners of the ceiling at either ends. At one end of the hallway the moon is angled upwards in one direction, when it is over you it will be horizontal, and then when it is down on the other end it will be angled downwards.

However, example involves a celestial body that is close to the earth, radically changing distance to the observer in relation to their distance above the Earth. Under the Round Earth model the Sun and Moon are essentially the same distance from the observer at all times, and so will not change much to perspective. The edges of the hallway ceiling are not the same distance from the observer at all points. The points along the edge of the hallway ceiling change in distance to the observer. We see again that the argument made is specious and unrelated to what is claimed by the Round Earth Theory's astronomical model.

Ball Experiment
Another attempt at showing that the matter may be caused by perspective takes the form of a ball experiment performed with the Moon in the background. Since it is possible to use a close range perspective effect with a ball in the near field to get it to point in a variety of different directions, it is concluded that this what must be happening with the Moon.

In a MetaBunk thread Mick West views a Moon Tilt Illusion and performs the following:



Mr. West angles the camera close and right up to the ball to get it to point away from the Sun like the Moon does:



The author uses what is a close-range perspective effect to match the Moon. There is little doubt that holding something very near to one's face can create lots of angles. However, the fallacy in this is that the Moon is not a small ball very close to the observer. In RET the Moon is far from the observer and maintains its distance from the Sun at all times. The Moon does not radically change its distance from the observer. Perspective affects orientation less and less with greater distances.

Under the Moon Tilt Illusion the Moon is sometimes pointing at the Sun and sometimes pointing away from it. We again see repetitions of the fallacies above, and a failure to provide a geometric explanation for the Moon Tilt Illusion.

Celestial Sphere
Another explanation given involves a "Celestial Sphere" in the sky, upon which straight lines become curved.

In the paper The Moon Tilt Illusion (Archive) by Adrea and Alan Myers, the following is stated:

We are told that straight lines become curved when looking into the sky because of the "celestial sphere" which exists above our heads.

A demonstration against this concept may be found in any 3D modeling program. Create a long straight line and place the camera at various distances from it. At what point does the straight line become curved? The answer we have found is: At no point. A straight line in the distance will always be straight. If the line were a green arrow pointing at an orange ball, the green arrow would always point at the orange ball.

Hence, the concept of a celestial sphere is seen to be an contrived concept bearing no relation to the 3D space which the Sun-Earth-Moon systems of astronomy are said to exist in. As there is no sphere around the Earth in RET upon which the celestial bodies traverse, or upon which straight lines may become curved, it is again found that a geometric explanation for the Moon Tilt Illusion is unavailabile. Astronomers disagree among themselves on the cause, and speculate on a planetarium-like celestial sphere which does not exist in modern astronomy.