12 Viral Social Media Moments People Misunderstood at First

Plane Between Buildings

A plane flying between tall apartment buildings looks terrifying at first glance. It seems like the aircraft is dangerously close to the city, almost squeezed between the towers. But most photos like this are caused by distance compression. A long camera lens can make faraway objects appear much closer together than they really are. The plane may be following a normal flight path, while the buildings are simply lined up in the foreground. Social media often turns these images into panic moments because the perspective feels real. Once you understand the lens effect, the scene becomes much less alarming.