Õhkupeegel

Õhkupeegel, also known as an aerial mirror or mirage, is an atmospheric optical phenomenon that occurs when light rays bend due to variations in air density. These variations are typically caused by temperature gradients. The most common type of õhkupeegel is the inferior mirage, which makes distant objects appear to be reflected on a hot surface, like a road or desert. This happens because the air near the hot surface is much warmer and less dense than the cooler air above it. Light rays traveling from the sky or a distant object are refracted upwards as they pass through these layers of varying density, creating a virtual image below the actual object. This can make it look like there is a pool of water on the ground.

A superior mirage, conversely, occurs when the air near the surface is colder than the air above it, often over cold water or ice. In this case, light rays are refracted downwards, causing distant objects to appear higher than they actually are, or even to float above the horizon. This can create illusory images of ships or landmasses that are not actually present or are beyond the normal line of sight. Fata Morgana is a complex form of superior mirage that can distort and magnify objects into strange, castle-like shapes. These phenomena are purely optical illusions and do not involve any actual reflection or distortion of the object itself, but rather the bending of light through the atmosphere.