Try to analyze the causes of the formation of mirages

In the summer, when you look into the distance on the calm and windless sea, you can sometimes see mountains, ships, towers, pavilions, markets, temples, etc. in the distant sky. The ancients did not understand the reason for this scene, and made an unscientific explanation for it, believing that it was formed by the breath exhaled by the dragon (i.e., mirage) in the sea, so it was called "mirage", also called mirage. A mirage is a total reflection of light as it travels through the air with uneven density distribution.

In summer, the lower air on the sea surface is cooler than the upper layer, denser than the upper layer, and has a greater refractive index than the upper layer. We can think of the air on the surface of the sea as being made up of many horizontal layers of air with different refractive indices. When the light emitted by distant mountains, ships, buildings, people, etc., is shot into the air, it is constantly refracted, and it deviates more and more from the normal direction, and the angle of incidence entering the upper air continues to increase, so that total reflection occurs, and the light is reflected back to the ground.

You can also see a mirage in the desert When the sun shines on the sand, the layer of hot air close to the sand surface is less dense than the upper layer of air, and the refractive index is also small The light rays from distant objects to the ground are refracted when they enter the layer of hot air with a small refractive index, and the angle of incidence gradually increases, and total reflection may also occur

The above phenomenon can sometimes be seen on asphalt roads in the hot summer The air layer close to the hot road surface is the same as the air layer near the hot sand surface, and the refractive index is smaller than that of the upper layer through the air Light rays from distant objects on the road surface may also be fully reflected, and from a distance, the road surface appears exceptionally bright and smooth, as if it had been poured with water.

A mirage is created by the reflection of light as it travels through the air with an uneven distribution of density. In summer, the air temperature in the lower layers of the sea tends to be lower than that in the upper layers, the density is greater than that in the upper layers, and the refractive index is also greater than that in the upper layers. We can think of the air on the surface of the sea as being composed of a large layer of water vapor with different refractive indices.

When the light emitted by distant mountains, ships, buildings, people, etc., is shot into the air, because it is constantly refracted, it deviates more and more from the normal direction, and the angle of incidence entering the upper air will continue to increase, resulting in total reflection, and the light is reflected back to the ground. Mirages can also be seen in the desert. When the sun shines on the sand, the layer of hot air that approaches the sand surface tends to be less dense and less refractive than the air above.

When light rays from distant objects hit the ground into a layer of hot air with a small refractive index, they are refracted and the angle of incidence gradually increases, and total reflection occurs, and people can see the reflection of distant objects as if they were reflected from the surface of the water. Pedestrians in the desert are often confused by this sight, thinking that there is a source of water ahead and running forward, but it is always out of reach.

The simple thing is the refraction of light.

Mirage is a natural phenomenon formed by the refraction of light, calm sea, river, lake, snowfield, desert or Gobi and other places, occasionally in the air or "underground" high-rise buildings, city outlines, trees and other illusions, called mirage. This kind of illusion often appears on the sea surface of Penglai in Shandong Province of our country, the ancients attributed it to the mirage of the genus of the dragon, exhaled into the outline of the tower, so it was named. Mirages are often produced at sea and in the desert.

A mirage is the result of the refraction of light rays in layers of air with different densities in a straight line. There are many types of mirages, which can be divided into epimirage, inferior mirage and lateral mirage according to the position of its appearance relative to the original object; According to its symmetrical relationship with the original, it can be divided into regular mirage, lateral mirage, paramirage and reverse mirage; According to the color, it can be divided into color mirage and non-color mirage and so on.

Mirages are a strange phenomenon, but how many people understand how they form?

Due to the different densities of the air, light rays are refracted and halos are formed.

This is due to the uneven density of the air caused by uneven heat and cold, and the uneven density of the air will be refracted, so you will see distant objects refracted in front of your eyes, which is a mirage.

What is the cause of the formation of mirages.