A mirage is like a trick the air plays on your eyes. When it's really hot, the ground gets super warm and heats up the air just above it. This hot air bends the light coming from far away, like when you look at the road in front of you on a sunny day, it seems wet or shimmering, as if there was water nearby.
A mirage is not an illusion because illusions are made with tricks and magic, like how a magician hides cards behind their back. A mirage happens naturally, thanks to light bending in the air.
Examples
- A hot road on a summer day looks like it has water on its surface, this is an inferior mirage.
- In the desert, you might see lakes that disappear when you get closer, this is a mirage caused by heat and light bending in the air.
- You look at the horizon from a ship, and it seems like you're seeing another ship floating above the sea, this is a superior mirage.
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See also
- What Causes a ‘Mirage’ and How Does It Work?
- What Causes a Mirage?
- What Causes a ‘Mirage’ on the Road?
- What Causes a Mirage on a Hot Day?
- What Causes a Mirage to Happen?
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