A Glitch In The 'Matrix'?

[titch2k6]

What would your initial thought be if you saw this one day?

A glitch in the 'matrix' maybe?

This image was caught on camera by David Morris near Falmouth, Cornwall in the UK.

This is an example of the superior mirage effect and is nothing more than a rare optical illusion.

A superior mirage is one in which a mirage image appears to be located above the real object. It 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. Passing through this inversion, light energy is refracted down, and so the image appears above the true object.

This type of illusion is commonly seen in the Arctic but can appear anywhere when the correct conditions are met.

 

[ozentity]

What would your initial thought be if you saw this one day?

It's an example of the superior mirage effect, lol. Before you informed me I would have spun out.

 

[Lynne]

That’s wild. Even after reading the explanation I don’t get it.

 

[titch2k6]

That’s wild. Even after reading the explanation I don’t get it.

To simplify the scientific explanation somewhat, thermal gradients (the ratio of the temperature difference and the distance between two points) in the atmosphere, and the associated refractive index (the measure of the bending of a ray of light when passing from one medium into another) changes, make light rays bend. In a superior (which is the scientific way of saying 'higher') mirage, an object can be seen in a higher position than it actually is, creating a unique optical illusion.

An example of the opposite of a superior mirage effect, which is an inferior (which just means 'lower') mirage, can be seen every hot summer's day when we see the 'wet road' effect:

 

[Debi]

These mirages are often referred to as "Fata Morgana".

Fata Morgana | SKYbrary Aviation Safety

Description A Fata Morgana is a type of mirage. A mirage is an image caused by atmospheric refraction. Refraction refers to the bending of, in this case, light waves as they move through mediums of different density, typically layers of air with different temperatures. In particular, a Fata...

www.skybrary.aero

 

[Lynne]

To simplify the scientific explanation somewhat, thermal gradients (the ratio of the temperature difference and the distance between two points) in the atmosphere, and the associated refractive index (the measure of the bending of a ray of light when passing from one medium into another) changes, make light rays bend. In a superior (which is the scientific way of saying 'higher') mirage, an object can be seen in a higher position than it actually is, creating a unique optical illusion.

An example of the opposite of a superior mirage effect, which is an inferior (which just means 'lower') mirage, can be seen every hot summer's day when we see the 'wet road' effect:

View attachment 30861

Ahh thank you. I get it now. Don’t ask me to ever explain it but I get the drift.