Changes

==Origin==

==Origin==

French, from ''mirer'' to look at, from [[Latin]] ''mirari''

French, from ''mirer'' to look at, from [[Latin]] ''mirari''

*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/19th_century 1803]

*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/19th_century 1803]

==Definitions==

==Definitions==

*1: an [[optical]] [[effect]] that is sometimes seen at [[sea]], in the [[desert]], or over a hot pavement, that may have the [[appearance]] of a pool of [[water]] or a [[mirror]] in which distant objects are seen inverted, and that is caused by the bending or [[reflection]] of rays of [[light]] by a layer of heated [[air]] of varying [[density]]

*1: an [[optical]] [[effect]] that is sometimes seen at [[sea]], in the [[desert]], or over a hot pavement, that may have the [[appearance]] of a pool of [[water]] or a [[mirror]] in which distant objects are seen inverted, and that is caused by the bending or [[reflection]] of rays of [[light]] by a layer of heated [[air]] of varying [[density]]

In contrast to a [[hallucination]], a mirage is a real optical phenomenon which can be captured on camera, since light rays actually are [[refracted]] to form the [[false]] image at the [[observer]]'s location. What the image appears to [[represent]], however, is determined by the [[interpretive]] faculties of the human [[mind]]. For example, inferior images on [[land]] are very easily mistaken for the reflections from a small body of [[water]].

In contrast to a [[hallucination]], a mirage is a real optical phenomenon which can be captured on camera, since light rays actually are [[refracted]] to form the [[false]] image at the [[observer]]'s location. What the image appears to [[represent]], however, is determined by the [[interpretive]] faculties of the human [[mind]]. For example, inferior images on [[land]] are very easily mistaken for the reflections from a small body of [[water]].

Mirages can be categorized as "inferior" (meaning lower), "superior" (meaning higher) and "[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fata_Morgana_(mirage) Fata Morgana]", one kind of superior mirage consisting of a [[series]] of unusually elaborate, vertically-stacked images, which form one rapidly-changing mirage. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirage]

Mirages can be categorized as "inferior" (meaning lower), "superior" (meaning higher) and "[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fata_Morgana_(mirage) Fata Morgana]", one kind of superior mirage consisting of a [[series]] of unusually elaborate, vertically-stacked images, which form one rapidly-changing mirage. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirage]

[[Category: Physics]]

[[Category: Physics]]