UFO enthusiasts counter that "mirages cannot be seen more than 1°
above or below the observer's horizon." UFO's are almost always
observed high in the sky or even directly above the observer's head
(zenith).
Mirages are generated by the bending of light rays when they move
across layers in the atmosphere with different temperatures and, thus,
densities. Mirages are real and can be photographed.
All mirages contain one regular ("erect") image and one or more mirror
("inverted") images. "Fata Morgana" is a mirage with many interlaced
inverted and erect images. It is named after King Arthur's sister,
the enchantress (magician-witch) Morgan le Fay.
Other refractive phenomena include looming, towering, sinking,
stooping, etc. In looming an object below the horizon is
projected into the sky. Objects under the horizon can thus appear to
be above it.
And who is right in the UFO debate?
Due to refraction, even under normal atmospheric conditions, we all
see objects that are under the astronomical horizon.
How much we see depends on our elevation, the width of the sky between
the two horizons, and the distance to the objects, among other
variables.
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