That’s interesting, David. I had never seen it that way myself. I think we are conditioned to see patterns which can then be quite difficult to see in any other way. But I will look out for it next time I see Orion.
Elsewhere, I have not always been able to see the expected patterns. For example, the Owl Cluster (NGC457) looks more like a lobster to me than an owl! And with images of the Moon’s craters, they will often become ‘ambiguous figures’ in which they sometimes appear as depressions but will suddenly switch and look like raised areas. I’m not sure how common this experience is. Is it just me?!
Seasons Greetings
Alan