Mirage facts for kids
A mirage is like a trick of light in the air. It makes things look different from where they really are. This happens because light bends as it travels through air layers that have different temperatures.
The words "mirage" and "mirror" come from an old word meaning "to look at."
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How Mirages Happen
Light usually travels in a straight line. But it can bend when it goes through different things. This bending is called refraction.
Think of air. Warm air is lighter, or less dense, than cold air. When light moves from warm air to cold air, it bends. It always bends towards the colder, denser air. This bending makes objects look like they are in a different spot than they actually are.
There are two main kinds of mirages: inferior and superior. They depend on how the air temperature changes.
Inferior Mirages
Inferior mirages are the most common type you might see on land. Imagine a hot road or desert. The air right above the ground gets very warm. The air higher up is cooler.
When light from the sky passes through this warm air, it bends. This bending makes a shimmering image of the sky appear on the ground. It often looks just like a puddle of water, even though there is no water there. This is why you might see what looks like water on a hot road far away.
Superior Mirages
Sometimes, a mirage can make an object appear higher than it really is. This happens when the air near the ground or water is colder than the air above it. This is called an inversion layer. It often occurs over large bodies of water or ice.
In this case, light bends in the opposite way from an inferior mirage. For example, a ship or an island that is actually hidden below the horizon might appear to float in the sky. Or it might look like it's sitting on the water's surface.
Fata Morgana
A "Fata Morgana" is a special kind of superior mirage. It is very complex and can change its look quickly. It can make distant objects appear stretched, squashed, or even stacked up.
The name "Fata Morgana" comes from Morgan le Fay. She was a mythical enchantress from the legends of King Arthur. In the past, people thought these strange mirages were magic illusions created by her.
Making an Artificial Mirage
You can create a mirage-like effect at home. Get a deep container of water. Slowly dissolve a substance like sugar or salt into the water. Make sure there is more sugar or salt at the bottom than at the top.
This creates layers of water with different densities. When you look through it, the image of an object will bend. This is similar to how a superior mirage works over open water.
Images for kids
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Various kinds of mirages in one location taken over the course of six minutes, not shown in chronological order.
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An inferior mirage seen in the Mojave Desert in a Nevada spring
See also
In Spanish: Espejismo para niños
