The Illusion Images

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Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Sunset Optical Illusion

The below picture was the Astronomy Picture of the Day for April 24, 2012 (via). I have placed it here because the photo provides an imaginative illusion of a sunset. How can you get the stars so bright with the sun still hanging low in the sky? The truth is you can't unless your Ulrich Beinert and refuse to accept the laws of nature.

The complete explanation of this picture follows below and has been quoted from the APOD archive.

See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest resolution version available.

Star Clouds over Arizona
Credit & Copyright: Ulrich Beinert

Explanation: The clouds in the foreground are much different than the clouds in the background. In the foreground are a photogenic deck of Earth-based water clouds. The long exposure used to create the above photograph makes the light from the left, reflected from Phoenix, Arizona, USA, appear like a sunset. Far in the distance, however, are star clouds from the disk of our Milky Way Galaxy. Billions of stars like our Sun live there, circling our Galactic center every 200 million years. Contrast between the water clouds and the star clouds has been digitally enhanced. Between the two, visible on the upper right, is the planet Jupiter.

Tree Optical Illusion

I love this picture. Glancing at it makes you wonder what trick the photographer used to get this effect. Then you notice the clouds in the background and realize that it's nature that is playing games with your head this time.

Optical illusion?
flickr author: beautifier
used w/permission

Tags: optical illusions,photos,illusions,art

Monday, May 7, 2012

Curtain Optical Illusion

I love the colors and motion in this illusion. Excellent work Zunehmen!

Curtain
flickr author: zunehmen

Zunehmen says the following about his creation,

"Caution! Prolonged exposure may cause disorientation. Do not operate heavy equipment while viewing this image."

Tags: optical illusions,photos,illusions,art

Sunday, May 6, 2012

Spring Flowers Optical Illusion

This illusion of flowers blowing in the wind seems appropriate for the month of May in North America. The breeze must be blowing how else can you explain the apparent motion of the flowers?

Earlier, I started a series by Miwa Miwa (1, 2) who very generously granted me permission to feature his work here. The below image is called Flowers and has an illusion of motion.

Flowers
(c) miwa miwa 2005
Used w/permission

Tags: optical illusions,photos,illusions,art

Two Billion Degrees Kelvin Illusion?

When the results of the experiment were analyzed the Z-machine had generated a temperature in excess of two billion degrees Kelvin. The scientist's first impression was total disbelief.

"At first, we were disbelieving," said project leader Chris Deeney. "We repeated the experiment many times to make sure we had a true result."

3.6 billion degrees Fahrenheit is hotter then the interior of our sun which punched the thermometer at a cool 15 million degrees Kelvin. The kicker in all this is that it seems that the energy out was more then was put in, plus the temperature was sustained 10 nanoseconds longer then should have been possible. They don't know why but they think something new is going on here. (read more)

Sandia's Z machine firing
The "“arcs and sparks"” formed at the
water-air interface travel between
metal conductors.
Photo by Randy Montoya
used w/permission

Tags: science,photos,zmachine,art