By using a simple fact: far-away things look like they are going slower than close-up things.You may have noticed this when driving: those distant phone poles pass sluggishly while the ones on the road go zooming by.In a blank white sky, our brains default to a simple strategy: the bigger it looks and the faster it goes, the closer it probably is.This is a smart way to proceed, and it generally works.Still, our perception can be fouled by rare situationsin which we find ourselves looking at something far away that nevertheless moves extremely fast, such as an incoming meteor.At thousands of miles an hour, that flaming object speeds across your field of vision, and your brain can easily conclude it must be much closer than it is,maybe even about to abduct you.
