Superior Mirage On Lake Michigan
May 13, 2015
Photographer: Ken Scott
Summary Authors: Ken Scott; Jim Foster
Shown above is a superior mirage as observed over the uninhabited Fox Islands in northern Lake Michigan. On this early spring day, a layer of warmer air was situated just above the still icy lake water so that nearly horizontal rays of sunlight were bent downward. Colder, denser air acts to bend light toward the eyes of anyone standing on the surface. Thus, the small, flat island (approximately 6.65 sq mi or 17.2 sq km in area) appears above its true position. Click here to see a video of this mirage. Photo taken in early April 2015.
Photo details: Camera Model: NIKON D600; Lens: 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6; Focal Length: 190.0mm (35mm equivalent: 190mm); Aperture: ƒ/5.6; Exposure Time: 0.0063 s (1/160); ISO equiv: 200; Software: Adobe Photoshop CS3 Macintosh.