# The Man in the Moon **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 18, 2003, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-man-in-the-moon/189468 "2003-07-18T20:48:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-man-in-the-moon/189468/1 "2003-07-18T20:48:20Z")
When I look at the moon in the sky, I have no trouble whatsoever seeing the “Man in the Moon” face. But when looking at a photo of the moon, I can’t make out the same face, even if I hold it far away and squint. What gives? ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-man-in-the-moon/189468/2 "2003-07-18T21:19:15Z")
WAG, when you look at the moon your eye picks out the major features and ignores the smaller and less distinct ones. But when you look at a photo, all the features are equally distinct and sharp and the face features are swamped by too much info. ---
**Author:** ![MonkeyMensch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@MonkeyMensch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MonkeyMensch)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-man-in-the-moon/189468/3 "2003-07-18T21:37:31Z")
I’ve often wondered about this very thing. The first thing to remember is that the moon is teeny in the sky, only about a half a degree. So the picture in my atlas, about a foot across, to appear to have the same angular dimension as the moon in the sky would have to be about 120 feet away. My yard ain’t that big. I put the atlas 60 or so feet away and could pick up on the appearance of a face. I think a real high contrast picture would do even better. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-man-in-the-moon/189468/4 "2003-07-18T21:44:49Z")
If you have a large(poster size) picture of the moon, you can see the face. Should “moon” be capitalized, when referring to Earth’s moon? Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![eburacum45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eburacum45/32/8690_2.png) [@eburacum45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eburacum45)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2003, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-man-in-the-moon/189468/5 "2003-07-19T06:33:56Z")
Yes. in astronomy the Earth’s moon is most commonly referred to as the Moon; the earth is called the Earth; and our sun is called the Sun. * * * SF worldbuilding at [http://www.orionsarm.com/main.html](http://www.orionsarm.com/main.html) ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2003, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-man-in-the-moon/189468/6 "2003-07-19T15:58:47Z")
You can see the Man in the Moon directly, but not via photographs, video, film or mirrored telescopes because he is a vampire. ---
**Author:** ![mecaenas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/91b2a8/32.png) [@mecaenas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mecaenas)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-man-in-the-moon/189468/7 "2003-07-20T00:28:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by mangeorge \* > \*\*If you have a large(poster size) picture of the moon, you can see the face. > Should “moon” be capitalized, when referring to Earth’s moon? > Peace, > mangeorge \*\* A noun should be capitalised when it refers to a single instance, so yes it should be capitalised. ---
**Author:** ![Trigonal\_Planar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/0ea827/32.png) [@Trigonal\_Planar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trigonal_Planar)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-man-in-the-moon/189468/8 "2003-07-20T03:04:53Z")
Anyone have a link that outlines the Man in the Moon face? I’ve never been able to see it. And I have a pretty active imagination 🙂