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Mirage
Occurs when the air below the line of sight is colder than that above. Since in this case the light rays are bent down, the image appears above the true object, hence the name superior. They are in general less common than inferior mirages, but when they do occur they tend to be more stable, as cold air has no tendency to move up and warm air no tendency to move down.
Science & Nature >
Atmospheric Phenomena
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Light rays coming from a particular distant object all travel through nearly the same air layers and all are bent over about the same amount. Therefore rays coming from the top of the object will come less high than those from the bottom. The image usually is upside down, enhancing the illusion that the sky image seen in the distance is really water puddle acting as a mirror. Inferior images are not stable. Hot air rises, and cooler air descends, so the layers will mix, giving rise to turbulence so the image will be distorted.
Science & Nature >
Atmospheric Phenomena
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