The Phantom Lighthouse: New Research Explains One of Australia's Strangest Illusions
4 Articles
4 Articles
The phantom lighthouse: New research explains one of Australia's strangest illusions
There are two lighthouses on Lady Elliot Island, at the southernmost tip of Australia's Great Barrier Reef. The first was built in 1873, but was decommissioned in 1995 when the second took over the job of warning ships off the reef. Visitors to the island, however, regularly report seeing signs of a third lighthouse. At night the beams of a nonexistent phantom lighthouse are seen far off, shining on the horizon.
(People) - Visitors sometimes encounter strange sightings when visiting Lady Elliot Island in Australia. It is the light from the lighthouse that seems to appear on the horizon, despite the fact that there is no such construction.
Many tourists claim to have seen a third lighthouse on the Australian island, even though there are only two. New research has found the explanation.
Researchers at the University of Melbourne, Australia, have revealed the principle behind the optical illusion in a study published in the international journal Open Mind that makes it appear as though a "ghost lighthouse," which does not actually exist, is floating on the horizon tens of kilometers away when looking out at the sea with one's back to the lighthouse. There are two lighthouses on Lady Elliott Island, located at the southernmost t…
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 100% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
