Rabbit in the Moon

An East Asian pareidolia pattern seeing a rabbit pounding mochi or medicine in a mortar on the moon.

Visual Description

The full moon’s maria pattern can be seen as a rabbit in profile, a common interpretation in East Asian cultures. Mare Serenitatis and Mare Tranquillitatis form the rabbit’s head and ears, while Mare Fecunditatis suggests the body. The western maria (Oceanus Procellarum) can be interpreted as the mortar and pestle the rabbit is using. This alternate interpretation of the same features that Western cultures see as a face demonstrates the cultural nature of pareidolia.

Notable Features

• Mare Serenitatis and Tranquillitatis as head and ears
• Mare Fecunditatis as rabbit’s body
• Western maria as mortar and pestle
• Traditional East Asian cultural interpretation
• Best visible at full moon

Notes

• Common in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean folklore
• Rabbit said to be pounding mochi or medicine
• Shows cultural variation in pattern recognition
• Same geological features as Western “Man in the Moon”
• Best observed during full moon phase