The space we see around us is the end product of a long series of processes: physical, physiological, and cognitive. It is a highly structured perceptual entity. In contrast to the fact that most studies of visual perception are concerned with local phenomena in this visual space, the main purpose of this book is to discuss the global structure of visual space. The physical space which surrounds us is of Euclidean structure, but its perceived image is not necessarily structured in that way. Problems such as why the sky appears as a vault and why the horizon is located at eye level are discussed in the book.

First Published in 2006. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

From the Moon, Sun, and planets of our Solar System to space exploration, black holes, and dark matter, this completely revised and updated children's encyclopedia covers all you need to know about the cosmos. The most up-to-date images from space agencies such as NASA and ESA combine with info panels, timelines, interviews, diagrams, and activities you can do at home to help you understand the majesty and wonder of space. Learn about the Space Race, the Apollo Moon Landings, the Voyager craft that first probed the outer planets, the Hubble telescope, and the International Space Station (ISS) - the state-of-the-art laboratory orbiting Earth. Find out about future missions, space tourism, and the latest discoveries in the furthest reaches of our galaxy. Discover how to find constellations and where to look for stars and planets, including Venus and Mars, in the night sky. Learn how galaxies such as our Milky Way were formed. Part of a series of best-selling encyclopedias for children, Space: A Children's Encyclopedia is a rocket ride from the beginning of time to the near future, and from planet Earth out to the furthest reaches of the Universe.

When most people think of space, they think of physical space. However, visual space concerns space as consciously experienced, and it is studied through subjective measures, such as asking people to use numbers to estimate perceived distances, areas, angles, or volumes. This book explores the mismatch between perception and physical reality, and describes the many factors that influence the perception of space including the meaning assigned to geometric concepts like distance, the judgment methods used to report the experience, the presence or absence of cues to depth, and the orientation of a stimulus with respect to point of view. The main theme of the text is that no single geometry describes visual space, but that the geometry of visual space depends upon the stimulus conditions and mental shifts in the subjective meaning of size and distance. In addition, The Geometries of Visual Space: *contains philosophical, mathematical, and psychophysical background material; *looks at synthetic approaches to space perception including work on hyperbolic, spherical, and Euclidean geometries; *presents a meta-analysis of studies that ask observers to directly estimate size, distance, area, angle, and volume; *looks at the size constancy literature in which observers are asked to adjust a comparison stimulus to match a variety of standards at different distances away; *discusses research that takes a multi-dimensional approach toward studying visual space; and *discusses how spatial experience is influenced by memory. While this book is primarily intended for scholars in perception, mathematical psychology, and psychophysics, it will also be accessible to a wider audience since it is written at a readable level. It will make a good graduate-level textbook on space perception.

A renewed interest in the study of vision has attracted scholars from such diverse fields as neuroscience, computer science, mathematics, physics and philosophy. At the same time, the development of imaging devices and popularization of stereoscopic effects has increased student interest in vision. This primer provides an overview of the principles of space perception in a handbook format that should appeal to researchers as well as students. Topics covered include geometrical and distal-proximal relationships, spatial localization, stereopsis, cyclopean perception, stimulus inadequacy, pictorial cues, perceived size and shape, Gibsonian psychophysics, lateral motion, motion in depth, perceived object motion, and motion detection.

Annotation - Most studies of visual perception, such as illusion, perception of solid objects and colors, etc., are concerned with local phenomena in this visual space. In contrast, this book focuses on the global structure inherent in our visual space- Developments in the Structure of Visual Space is summarized in the book. Moreover, the idea is discussed with regard to our visual space under more natural conditions- The book will be of interest to scientists and engineers in various fields who are interested in human vision and to artists who are interested in the scientific understanding of seeing- This book includes many illustrations- All mathematical tools are explained from the beginning, so it is still readable to those who are not familiar with Riemannian geometry- The backgrounds of experimentation are described in detail, so it is also readable to those who are unfamiliar with experiments on visual perception