This video illustrates some basic concepts of inferior mirage formation across a flat plane. The appearance of an inverted or "mirrored" image below the upright image is the result of light paths (rays) bending upward, strongest near the surface. By simplifying what a ray tracing program does, we can create simple mirage examples by defining only the key paths which produce the angular results necessary to draw a mirage.
There have been some questions floating around about inferior mirage such as: "Is an inferior mirage a vertical image or does it occupy the surface plane?" and "Does an inferior mirage obstruct the 'real' object" and "Can an inferior mirage obstruct more information than its own angular size" and "Why does the 'fold line' continue to rise with distance?" This video doesn't directly answer any of these questions, but it attempts to lay the foundation for a more productive discussion and more detailed demonstrations in the near future. You may be able to answer some of those questions yourself after watching, or you may have more questions. Either one is good in the comments. The next video will give my best answer for these four questions, ask a couple more big ones, and try to answer any good ones that come up in discussion.
5 окт 2024
