Mirage
Videos
A mirage is a naturally occurring optical phenomenon in which light rays bend via refraction to produce a displaced image of distant objects or the sky. The word comes to English via the French mirer,
Various kinds of mirages in one location taken over the course of six minutes, not shown in chronological order.
An inferior mirage seen in the Mojave Desert in a Nevada spring
A hot-road mirage, in which "fake water" appears on the road, is the most commonly observed instance of an inferior mirage.
Heat haze seen through exhaust gas from a jet engine
While mirages are the best known atmospheric refraction phenomena, looming and similar refraction phenomena do not produce mirages. Mirages show an extra image or images of the miraged object, while l
Mirage
…air (being denser) sinks, the layers will mix, causing turbulence. The image will be distorted accordingly; it may vibrate or be stretched vertically (towering) or compressed vertically (stooping). A combination of vibration and extension are also possible. If several temperature layers are present, several…
The distant boats appear to be floating in the sky as a result of looming and other refraction phenomena.
Looming of the Canadian coast as seen from Rochester, New York, on April 16, 1871
Three photos showing a looming, towering, and Fata Morgana of the Farallon Islands