[LeGrande]

The animation is correct! And the animation demonstrates that the thrower does not lead on the catcher as the catcher appears to go flying by.

The animation shows the thrower releasing the ball in an identical direction and time at the catcher, in both frames of reference. When the ball is released it is at the center of the merry go round, the thrower is at the bottom of the screen and the recipient is at the top. Both frames are identical and the leading is exactly the same.

[mrjesse]

Said LeGrande:
The animation shows the thrower releasing the ball in an identical direction and time at the catcher, in both frames of reference. When the ball is released it is at the center of the merry go round, the thrower is at the bottom of the screen and the recipient is at the top. Both frames are identical and the leading is exactly the same.

Right you are! The animation does show the thrower leading exactly the same in both frames of reference. As a matter of fact, shows them both leading by exactly zero degrees! Is that even leading? If I go make a deposit into my bank acount in the ammount of zero dollars and zero cents, is that even a deposit? Nope! So actually it's more correct to say that they aren't even leading the target at all.

-Jesse