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When the coast floats

  • Calm coastal scene with a rocky foreground and a distant shoreline stretching across the horizon under a clear sky
    handler
    Coastal mirages
    First, there is a real distant coast. In 1798, France appeared greatly raised above the sea from Hastings for nearly an hour. 🇫🇷
  • A collage showing a setting sun and three panels of distant islands and structures appearing elevated or multiplied above the horizon.
    handler
    Coastal mirages
    The mirage can raise, enlarge, multiply, or suspend distant objects. In Sicily, Bay of Naples buildings appeared in water and sometimes in the air. 👀
  • An educational diagram illustrating the physics of a superior mirage, showing light rays bending downward through cooler air layers.
    handler
    Coastal mirages
    Here is the key: hot ground or sea warms the air above, making it less dense. Light bends through the layers, turning back and lifting the image. 🌡️
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