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A superior mirage is one in which the mirage image appears to be located above the real object. A superior mirage occurs when the air below the line of sight is colder than the air above it. This unusual arrangement is called a temperature inversion , since warm air above cold air is the opposite of the normal temperature gradient of the atmosphere during the daytime.
A Fata Morgana seen over the Baltic Sea, 2016. The mirage consists of multiple upright and inverted images over the original object. A Fata Morgana ( Italian: [ˈfaːta morˈɡaːna]) is a complex form of superior mirage visible in a narrow band right above the horizon. The term Fata Morgana is the Italian translation of "Morgan the Fairy ...
A superior mirage occurs when the mirage image appears to be positioned above the actual object. The phenomenon happens when the air beneath the line of sight is colder than the air above it, which is known as a temperature inversion.
Apr 17, 2024 · A superior mirage appears as a result of light bending up towards warmer air situated above colder air near the surface, as the red line indicates. It is possible since light follows the quickest (not shortest) path, which, in this case, is the warmer air higher in the atmosphere, which provides less optical resistance.
Nov 24, 2023 · A superior mirage can make the object you’re looking at appear higher than it is. When this happens while you’re looking at a boat on the water, it can seem as if the boat is floating in the sky. Some have suggested that this is how the legend of the Flying Dutchman originated.
Nov 22, 2023 · This sort of mirage is called an inferior mirage because it appears below the horizon. Superior mirages are mirages that form above the horizon. This occurs when there is a cooler level of air lower than a warmer level of air, typically over icy landscapes or very cold water. This mirage causes you to see a scene much higher than it should be.
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In particular, a Fata Morgana is a superior mirage. Superior Mirage. A superior mirage occurs when there is a temperature inversion; the air below the line of sight is colder than the air above it. Passing through the temperature inversion, the light rays are bent down, and so the image appears above the true object, hence the name superior.
