What you need to know about this “menacing” ship

The cover photo of the floating ship has caught everyone’s attention as this huge freighter appears to just float above the water. What you see is not just a mirage, but a superior mirage.

We all know an inferior mirage that gives the impression of an oasis in the desert. Both inferior and superior mirages refer to air temperatures and refracted (ie, curved) sunlight.

The inferior mirage occurs when there is very hot air on the surface with colder air above it. The sun’s rays are deflected by that warmer air and your eye ‘sees’ an apparent image, which is really just a reflection of the sky above.

Here’s a picture of “water” that appears to be on the hot road, but it actually isn’t – it’s just the sky above.

You’d think around here with our hot pavement, we’d see A LOT of it in the summer!

A superior mirage occurs when there is not warmer air on the surface, but colder air on the surface and warm air above. The light is bent upwards instead of downwards, so the mirage takes place above the ground instead of on the surface:

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If the object of a superior mirage is within your line of sight or on / above the horizon, that object will look upside down.

However, if the object is below the horizon, it will appear upright. This is called an “impending” mirage:

It’s actually rarer to take such a great photo than mirages themselves. In fact, the sun itself creates a mirage every day at dusk and dawn – if you see the full sun on the horizon, it is partially or completely below the horizon. The light bends through the atmosphere in such a way that the sun appears full. You can further explore that phenomenon here.

Have a good week. We have some warm changes in the coming days!

Frank

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