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Why do those living in the Southern Hemisphere see the moon upside down?
Question: Why do those living in the Southern Hemisphere see the moon upside down in relation to those living in the Northern Hemisphere? Does this not prove that the Earth is round?
Answer: The difference in the way that the moon appears to those in the north versus those in the south is simply due to perspective, not the Earth's rotundity. Because the moon's path generally follows the equator (staying between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn), those south of the equator view it from a different angle than those north of the equator. It is drastically oversimplified to say that that those in the south see the moon "upside down" in relation to those in the north. In reality, the moon's perceived orientation will be slightly different from every viewing angle.
The significance of viewing perspective can easily be demonstrated by the following:
- Walk to one side of the room.
- Look up at the light on your ceiling. (Imagine this light is the moon.)
- Now, move to the opposite side of the room. (When you do this, imagine you are crossing the equator, and moving into the other "hemisphere."
- When you turn around and look up at the light [moon] now, it will appear upside down from your original perspective. The side that was originally opposite your view is now closest to you.
It is drastically oversimplified to say that that those in the south see the moon "upside down" in relation to those in the north. In reality, the moon's perceived orientation will be slightly different from every viewing angle.
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