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What is the visual illusion that may occur at night called 'autokinesis'?

  • A

    When a moving light appears stationary.

  • B

    When you see two objects when in fact there is only one.

  • C

    When you focus at infinity without meaning to.

  • D

    When a stationary light appears to move when you stare at it.

AUTOKINESIS

When staring at a single source of light at night (e.g. the stars) for a prolonged time, it may appear to move while it is actually stationary due to autokinetic movements of the eyes. This gives the illusion that the light is moving and can lead the pilot to believe that a single star is another aircraft. This illusion is common during the cruise phase of flight at night and can be avoided by shifting the gaze to eliminate staring.

Autokinetic illusion → When a stationary light appears to be moving after staring at it for a long time.

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