Me and my shadow: Elongated sunset shadows disrupt size constancy
Abstract
At sunset, your shadow can be more than 10 times longer than your own height. This long shadow may appear to have a disproportionally small head and long legs, but the disproportion is not in the physical shape of the shadow. The head looks tapered because it is far away and is viewed from a fixed position. But unlike any other long object, our own shadows seem to fascinate us. We discuss the reasons behind this unique phenomenon.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Visual perception and processing mechanisms
Aesthetic Perception and Analysis
Face Recognition and Perception
Publication details
- Journal / source
- i-Perception
- Volume
- 17
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 20416695261418499–20416695261418499
- Publication date
- 1 January 2026
- Language
- EN