A mirage is like a trick the air plays on your eyes. When it’s really hot, the ground gets super warm and starts to act like a mirror, that’s why you see things that aren’t there, like water in the middle of the desert.
Why It Happens
The heat from the ground warms up the air just above it, making it less dense. Light bends as it moves through different layers of warm and cool air, so your eyes get confused, they think there’s a pool of water when there isn’t one.
Examples
- A hot road looks like a pool of water on a sunny day.
- You see what looks like a lake in the desert, but there's no water at all.
- It feels like you're walking through a mirage when it’s so hot that everything seems wavy.
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See also
- Why Does Time Seem to Fly When You're Having Fun?
- What Causes the Sky to Change Colors at Sunset?
- What Causes the Northern Lights?
- What Causes a ‘Golden’ Sunset or Sunrise?
- How Does a Mirror Work Exactly?
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Categories: Physics · Optics,Refraction,Mirage,Heat Waves