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 Description

This gallery contains pictures of buildings and structures which, under normal circumstances, will not easily be mistaken for something they are not. However, there are special situations in which ordinary buildings and structures can cause confusion, for instance:

  • when sunlight reflects off highly polished parts of the building or structure, making it impossible to see what is behind the reflection;
  • when lights affixed to the building or the structure prevent the observer from seeing what is behind the lights;
  • when a layer of fog close to the ground renders a part of the building or the structure invisible, creating the impression that the upper part is a separated object that is suspended in the air.

Misidentifications of this kind occur more often when the observer is inside a moving vehicle. In such a situation, trees and houses may obstruct the view, making it difficult to see much detail. Moreover, distant and motionless objects that are seen from a moving vehicle sometimes appear to follow the observer. This optical illusion is very common with astronomical bodies and is due to the fact that near objects pass rapidly out of sight behind us, while those farther from us remain longer in view.