PARALLAX ILLUSION
If you walk past a stationary object, it appears to move relative to the background. This effect is called parallax, and our brains are so used to it we don’t notice when everyday objects are involved. But if there aren’t any familiar visual cues, it really can seem as though a stationary object is in motion. Some believe this is what we’re seeing in the GOFAST video. The idea is that the object is nowhere near the sea’s surface, but much closer to the aircraft taking the video. Even if the object was almost stationary, it would appear to whiz over the sea at the same speed as the aircraft itself.