The illusion is caused by temporal aliasing, commonly known as the stroboscopic effect.

Watching the stroboscopic effect enabled him to synchronize the engines.

His bravura use of stroboscopic effects and afterimages, for instance, can be appreciated only when the flickering image is reflected back into the eye.

The illusion arises from the stroboscopic effect - moving picture images are actually a rapid succession of still images.

These forms of the effect are known as stroboscopic effects: the original smooth rotation of the wheel is visible only intermittently.

A similar stroboscopic effect is now commonly observed by people eating crunchy foods, such as carrots, while watching TV.

The stroboscopic effect is sometimes used to "stop motion" or to study small differences in repetitive motions.

In the case of motion pictures, action is captured as a rapid series of still images and the same stroboscopic effect can occur.

The stroboscopic effect also plays a role in audio playback.

The stroboscopic effect also plays a role for laser microphones.