# Why can't I see the man in the moon **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 29, 2005, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-see-the-man-in-the-moon/287284 "2005-01-29T15:59:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2005, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-see-the-man-in-the-moon/287284/21 "2005-01-30T19:45:31Z")
I’v always seen it like [this](http://webhome.idirect.com/~clzoll/moon.gif). Come to think of it, it kinds of reminds me of a skeleton version of the Dubious Smiley. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Gaius.Cornelius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b487fb/32.png) [@Gaius.Cornelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gaius.Cornelius)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-see-the-man-in-the-moon/287284/22 "2005-01-31T18:42:04Z")
> [@Eats\_Crayons](#): > > I’v always seen it like [this](http://webhome.idirect.com/~clzoll/moon.gif). Come to think of it, it kinds of reminds me of a skeleton version of the Dubious Smiley. :dubious: Thanks, that is about the most convincing so far, although that is not saying much. Do any of these images look better with a partial phase of the moon? ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-see-the-man-in-the-moon/287284/23 "2005-01-31T23:05:50Z")
Because he’s a [rabbit](http://www.projectanime.com/sailormoon/). ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2005, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-see-the-man-in-the-moon/287284/24 "2005-02-01T01:03:17Z")
> [@Gaius.Cornelius](#): > > Thanks, that is about the most convincing so far, although that is not saying much. > > Do any of these images look better with a partial phase of the moon? I never sawy the Man in the Moon until I got a really crappy telescope when I was about 10. One night atmospheric conditions gave the moon more “contrast”. Then I kind of figured, “Oh, that must be it.” So I darkened the craters in Photoshop to sort of replicate my big discovery. I had an art teacher who used to say that if you squint so thatyour eyelashes are sort of blurring what you’re seeing, you’ll be able to distinguish the highlights and darks really well. I’ve found it does sort of work. Fakes the “contrast” look. ---
**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2005, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-see-the-man-in-the-moon/287284/25 "2005-02-01T17:16:01Z")
> [@emekthian](#): > > I can’t see anything but a rabbit, either. I found out about the Japanese view in one of those Time-Life Facts books I read when I was roughly four. > > I seem to remember it was a “rabbit cooking ricecakes”. Yes! Me too! I always thought the other groups of people were stupid, since th rabbit is by far the clearest of the ones in the book. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2005, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-see-the-man-in-the-moon/287284/26 "2005-02-01T17:18:51Z")
You need an appointment. He’s a busy guy. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2005, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-see-the-man-in-the-moon/287284/27 "2005-02-02T16:16:09Z")
I don’t appear to see the ones that other folks see either. [I see these](http://home.earthlink.net/~ahunter/Upload_Download/ManInTheMoon.jpg). (PS —It doesn’t really help to stare at magnified pix of the moon. The illusions work best at natural size and optical resolution.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-see-the-man-in-the-moon/287284.md?page=1)