A NASA image of the snow-dusted Grand Canyon has created a striking optical illusion, making the vast chasm—more than a mile deep resemble a mountain range. (ISS / NASA via SWNS)
The deceptive effect stems from a phenomenon known as relief inversion, where viewers unconsciously expect light from the top of an image, but here the Sun shone from the south, at the bottom. (ISS / NASA via SWNS)
A NASA image of the snow-dusted Grand Canyon has created a striking optical illusion, making the vast chasm—more than a mile deep resemble a mountain range. (ISS / NASA via SWNS)
The deceptive effect stems from a phenomenon known as relief inversion, where viewers unconsciously expect light from the top of an image, but here the Sun shone from the south, at the bottom.
The deceptive effect stems from a phenomenon known as relief inversion, where viewers unconsciously expect light from the top of an image, but here the Sun shone from the south, at the bottom. (ISS / NASA via SWNS)
NASA Earth Observatory said: "If these photos make the iconic feature of the American West look more like a mountain range than a vast chasm, the effect is likely due to a visual illusion called relief inversion.
"Though the shadows on the canyon walls may be visually deceiving, the presence of snow helps to signal that the flat areas sit at higher elevations."
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